Chalky White and Omar Little took themselves very seriously — clearly, actor Michael Kenneth Williams does not.
The “Boardwalk Empire” and “The Wire” star has been cast in the lead role for IFC’s “The Spoils Before Dying,” which is the sequel of sorts to last year’s “The Spoils of Babylon.”
Will Ferrell is reprising his role as booze-hound author and director Eric Jonrosh on the second installment of the purposefully ridiculous miniseries.
This time around, a pulp-noir murder mystery is set in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles’ jazz scene. “The Spoils Before Dying” follows down-and-out pianist Rock Banyon (Michael Kenneth Williams) who becomes the prime suspect when his lead singer and occasional lover is found violently murdered in a car with another man.
With the death of two people hanging over his head, Rock has only 72 hours to clear his name or fry in the electric chair. Determined to prove his innocence, Rock goes on an elusive quest for the truth that takes him into an abyss of sex, murder, love, betrayal, and of course, jazz.
“Considered too risqué for the safe and sanitized living rooms of a 1950’s postwar nation, the six-part comedic miniseries will be coming to screens for the first time this summer,” IFC stated.
“We’ve been spoiled by the talent we’ve been able to attract to this franchise,” said Jennifer Caserta, IFC’s president. “We know Michael will bring the same swagger of his previous larger-than-life roles to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore a dangerous world that was too hot for television.”
“The Spoils Before Dying” is produced by Funny Or Die and executive produced by Ferrell, Adam McKay, Matt Piedmont, Andrew Steele and Nate Young. Steele and Piedmont return as writers, with Piedmont also directing.
“The Spoils of Babylon” is currently streaming on Netflix.