Orphan Black Sequel Series Adds Krysten Ritter in Lead Role
Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter has landed the lead role in AMC's Orphan Black sequel. Titled Orphan Black: Echoes, the sequel to Orphan Black takes place in the not-too-distant future and examines how human existence is manipulated by scientific discovery. Orphan Black: Echoes follows a group of women as they weave their way into each other's lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unraveling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a wrenching story of love and betrayal. Krysten Ritter is set to star as well as executive produce. Orphan Black: Echoes was originally ordered to series back in April.
Krysten Ritter's starring role is a woman named Lucy, who has an unimaginable origin story and is trying to find her place in the world. Orphan Black: Echoes brings Ritter back to AMC after appearing on Breaking Bad as Jane Margolis, a role she also portrayed in the spinoff film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. Along with headlining ABC's Don't Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, the actress also starred as the superhero Jessica Jones in Marvel's Netflix franchise. Jessica Jones got three seasons on Netflix, and the character also appeared in Luke Cage and The Defenders.
The original Orphan Black series starred Tatiana Maslany in a breakout performance, earning her multiple Emmy nominations before an ultimate win, with that series focusing on a woman who discovered she's one of many experimental clones. The original series has earned multiple follow-up adventures in the form of audio dramas, with this new series set to continue to explore this world. Maslany has recently moved over to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she plays Bruce Banner's cousin Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
She-Hulk includes several surprise guest appearances, with some fans speculating whether Krysten Ritter could return to play Jessica Jones. The private investigator is also rumored for Echo, with a description for one episode reportedly involving Charlie Cox's Daredevil searching for an old acquaintance that could be Jessica Jones.
Anna Fishko will serve as showrunner and writer of Orphan Black: Echoes, while series co-creator John Fawcett will return as an executive producer and director.
"Orphan Black had a remarkable run on BBC America, attracting millions of dedicated and highly engaged fans, captivated by a smart and engrossing story and a star-making and Emmy-winning performance by Tatiana Maslany," said AMC Studios and AMC Networks entertainment president Dan McDermott. "We can't wait to dive back in with Anna, John, and our partners at Boat Rocker and deliver an all-new version of this rich world that is worthy of the Clone Club."
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