Donald Glover's FX 'Atlanta' pilot starting production soon
By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Thursday, July 2, 2015
Former Stone Mountain resident and actor Donald Glover is about to start production on an FX pilot comedy called "Atlanta" in Atlanta.
The show features two cousins breaking into the Atlanta rap scene with opposing views on art and commerce, success and race.
Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Lee Stanfield and Zazie Beetz will star in the pilot along with Glover, who created and wrote the pilot.
Glover will play "Earnest Earn" Marks, a loner who left Atlanta only to return. He is now working an unglamorous job and barely getting by. When his cousin Alfred becomes Atlanta's hot rapper, Earn sees an opportunity to manage Alfred's career.
The 31-year-old writer, singer and actor is best known for playing Troy on the Yahoo! (formerly NBC) sitcom "Community." He was previously a writer for NBC's ''30 Rock." He is also Childish Gambino, gaining two Grammy nominations.
The fact FX released a press release about this indicates that they are hoping for big things from this pilot. We probably won't know until the fall whether FX will give "Atlanta" a full season but odds seem pretty good already.
The concept has echoes of HBO's new comedy "Brothers in Atlanta," which is currently in production in Atlanta.
"Brothers in Atlanta" is about struggling entertainers and best friends Langston and Moose trying to navigate relationships and life in Atlanta. An Atlanta native, Langston is an aspiring DJ whose career has stalled due to his lack of focus and his get-rich schemes. New to Atlanta, Moose is a perennial backup singer with dreams of the spotlight, who keep his foot in his mouth.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
