Animal Kingdom (TV series)
| Animal Kingdom | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre |
Crime drama Family drama |
| Based on |
Animal Kingdom by David Michôd |
| Developed by | Jonathan Lisco |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Atticus Ross & Claudia Sarne |
| Composer(s) | Alexis & Sam |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 20 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) |
|
| Location(s) |
Oceanside, California Los Angeles, California |
| Cinematography |
|
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company(s) | |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | TNT |
| Original release | June 14, 2016 – present |
| External links | |
| http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/animal-kingdom.html | |
Animal Kingdom is an American drama television series developed by Jonathan Lisco. It is based on the 2010 Australian film by David Michôd, who is executive producer for the series, alongside Liz Watts who also produced the movie. The series follows a 17-year-old boy, who, after the death of his mother, moves in with the Codys, a criminal family clan governed by matriarch Smurf. Ellen Barkin portrays the leading role of Janine "Smurf" Cody, played by Jacki Weaver in the 2010 film. Animal Kingdom debuted on TNT on June 14, 2016, and was renewed for a second season on July 6, 2016, of thirteen episodes that premiered on May 30, 2017.[1] On July 27, 2017, TNT renewed the series for a third season.[2]
Cast and characters
Main cast
- Ellen Barkin as Janine "Smurf" Cody, the tough matriarch of the family and J's estranged grandmother. Smurf is protective of her family and presents a borderline-incestuous love towards them.
- Scott Speedman as Barry "Baz" Blackwell, Smurf's adopted son and leader in the Codys' robberies. Despite his quiet semblance, he is manipulative and self-centered.
- Shawn Hatosy as Andrew "Pope" Cody, the oldest Cody son, who is mentally disturbed. He reappears after serving three years in Folsom State Prison and has an obsessive infatuation with Catherine. Smurf begins to secretly medicate Pope to control his unstable behavior.
- Ben Robson as Craig Cody, the middle Cody son, who has a predilection for drugs and extremely risky activities.
- Jake Weary as Deran Cody, the youngest Cody son, who is a closeted gay man and possessive of his on-again/off-again lover, Adrian.
- Finn Cole as Joshua "J" Cody, Smurf's grandson who moves in with her and his uncles following the death of his mother, Julia, who was Pope's twin sister.
- Daniella Alonso as Catherine Blackwell (season 1), Baz's wife, and mother to their daughter, Lena. Smurf manipulates Pope to kill Catherine.
- Molly Gordon as Nicky Belmont, J's ex-girlfriend and Craig's girlfriend.
- Carolina Guerra as Lucy (season 2; recurring season 1), Baz's girlfriend from Mexico.
Recurring cast
- Aamya Deva Keroles as Lena Blackwell, Baz and Catherine's daughter.
- Spencer Treat Clark as Adrian, a man with whom Deran was in a secretly volatile relationship with before he broke up with him.
- C. Thomas Howell as Paul Belmont (season 1), a United States Navy Lieutenant Commander at Camp Pendleton, and Nicky's father.[3]
- Nicki Micheaux as Det. Sandra Yates (season 1), a sharp, focused detective trying to catch the Cody family.[4]
- Dorian Missick as Patrick, a tough cop with a sweet spot for Catherine.[4]
- Christina Ochoa as Ren Randall, Craig's drug dealer ex-girlfriend.
- Ellen Wroe as Alexa Anderson (season 1), J and Nicky's teacher, who worked undercover with Det. Yates to try to take down the Codys. She also dated J.
- Michael Bowen as Vin (season 1), a man previously incarcerated with Pope.
- Alex Meraz as Javier "Javi" Cano (season 2), a man from a dangerous gang that Smurf worked with while her own sons were too young to commit crimes.[5]
- Jennifer Landon as Amy (season 2), an employee at a megachurch Pope meets and dates. She also runs a Bible study group and an ex-con rehabilitation program at the megachurch. [6]
- Tembi Locke as Monica (season 2), a smart, low-key woman who’s the technical brains of a criminal operation that the Codys rely on to fence their stolen goods.[7]
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 10 | June 14, 2016 | August 9, 2016 | ||
| 2 | 13 | May 30, 2017 | August 29, 2017[8] | ||
Production
TNT ordered the pilot of Animal Kingdom in May 2015,[9] with Barkin and Speedman the first to be cast in July 2015 as matriarch Smurf and her adopted son Baz, respectively.[10] In August, Cole and Weary were added as J and Deran,[11] with Hatosy and Robson soon cast as the remaining Cody brothers Pope and Craig.[12][13] Alonso was later announced as Baz's girlfriend Catherine,[14] and Gordon as J's girlfriend Nicky.[15]
The project was picked up to series with a 10-episode order in December 2015.[16] The show debuted on June 14, 2016,[17] and on July 6, 2016 TNT renewed it for a 13-episode second season.[18]
Reception
The first season of Animal Kingdom has received positive reviews. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 73% based on 30 reviews. The consensus is: "Bolstered by Ellen Barkin's acting prowess, Animal Kingdom is a darkly intriguing, although occasionally predictable, twisted family drama."[19] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 65 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[20]
Home media
The first season was released in DVD and Blu-ray formats on April 28, 2017. Each set contains behind-the-scenes featurettes and deleted scenes. The home media is distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.[21]
References
- ↑ "Breaking News - TNT's "Animal Kingdom" Returns for Season 2 Tuesday, May 30 | TheFutonCritic.com". thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (July 27, 2017). "'Animal Kingdom' and 'Angie Tribeca' renewed at TNT and TBS". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
- ↑ Otterson, Joe (April 5, 2016). "TNT’s Animal Kingdom Casts C Thomas Howell in Recurring Role (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- 1 2 Petski, Denise (April 25, 2016). "Animal Kingdom: Nicki Micheaux & Dorian Missick Cast As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ↑ "The SpoilerTV Daily Newsreel - 6th December 2016 *Updated*". 7 December 2016.
- ↑ "The SpoilerTV Daily Newsreel - 16th December 2016 *Updated*". 17 December 2016.
- ↑ "The SpoilerTV Daily Newsreel - 12th January 2017 *Updated*". 12 January 2017.
- ↑ "Shows AZ Animal Kingdom on TNT". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ↑ Turner press release (May 13, 2015). "Kevin Reilly Unveils Bold Vision for TNT & TBS At Turner Broadcasting's 2015 Upfront". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (July 29, 2015). "Ellen Barkin & Scott Speedman To Star In John Wells' TNT Pilot Animal Kingdom". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (August 4, 2015). "Finn Cole & Jake Weary Join TNT Drama Pilot Animal Kingdom". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (August 14, 2015). "Shawn Hatosy Joins TNT Drama Pilot Animal Kingdom". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ↑ Pedersen, Erik (August 20, 2015). "Ben Robson Leads Life Of Crime In TNT Pilot Animal Kingdom". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (August 24, 2015). "Daniella Alonso Joins Animal Kingdom Pilot; Emma Greenwell In The Way". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (August 25, 2015). "Molly Gordon Rounds Out Animal Kingdom Cast; Orange Is The New Black Adds 3 Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ↑ "TNT Greenlights Original Drama Series Good Behavior and Animal Kingdom". The Futon Critic. December 10, 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ↑ Slezak, Michael (March 24, 2016). "Animal Kingdom — TNT Drama Premiere Date and Trailer". TVLine. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ↑ Prudom, Laura (July 6, 2016). "TNT's Animal Kingdom, TBS Comedies Angie Tribeca and Wrecked Renewed". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ↑ "Animal Kingdom: Season 1 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ↑ "Animal Kingdom: Season 1". Metacritic. CBS. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ↑ Lambert, David (January 26, 2017). "Animal Kingdom - Official Warner Press Release for 'The Complete 1st Season' on DVD, Blu-ray". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved May 28, 2017.