Criminal TV Series Adds Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke, best known for her role on HBO’ Game of Thrones, has joined the star-studded cast of Criminal, Prime Video’s forthcoming adaptation of the comic book series of the same name by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. The series, published first by Marvel and later Image, launched in 2006. Originally a monthly comic, Criminal has now transitioned into a series of miniseries, all of which get collected and do well in the bookstore market. It’s one of the definitive crime comics of the last fifty years and one of the most awarded creator-owned comics in modern history.

Clarke will play the role of Mallory. Per her official character description (via Variety), Mallory is “a slick and daring armed robber, as quick with a gun as she is with her wits. Part of a heist crew with Ricky Lawless (Gus Halper), who she’s in a passionate Bonnie-and-Clyde-like affair with. Mallory is a woman on the edge, living on the wrong side of the law and hiding secrets that will bring her and her entire crew into the danger zone.”

“Sean and I have been building this world in our books for over a decade, and now to be able to bring it to life for Amazon is just incredible. And to have Amazon support the project the way they have, and show so much faith in my and Jordan’s vision for the show is even more incredible,” Brubaker said when the series was picked up.

The cast of Criminal includes Charlie Hunnam, Richard Jenkins, John Hawkes, Adria Arjona, Logan Browning, Kadeem Hardison, Pat Healy, Taylor Sele, Gus Halper, Aliyah Camacho, Michael Mando, Marvin Jones III, Michael Xavier, and Dominic Burgess.

Brubaker wrote the Criminal pilot’s script and will act as the series’ co-showrunner with crime author Jordan Harper (Hightown, Gotham, The Mentalist). Brubaker is also a writer and executive producer on Prime’s Batman: Caped Crusader animated series, having cut his teeth on Batman and Gotham Central about 20 years ago. He also wrote the comic books that inspired Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Over the course of its run so far, Criminal has won the Eisner Award for Best New Series (2006), the Eisner Award for Best Limited Series (Criminal: Last of the Innocent, 2012), and the Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album – New (My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, 2019). Brubaker and Phillips have also published other acclaimed works together, including The Fade Out, Kill or Be Killed, Reckless, and Pulp.