Netflix announced that Laurence Fishburne and Michelle Yeoh are the latest to be cast in its upcoming fantasy film The School For Good And Evil.
Matrix star Fishburne signed on to play The Schoolmaster and Yeoh will portray Professor Anemone, according to Deadline. The duo joins an ensemble cast that also includes Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington.
Based on the young adult novel of the same name by Soman Chainani, The School for Good and Evil follows Sophie and Agatha, who attend the titular school where students are trained to be either fairy tale heroes or villains. Chainani's The School for Good and Evil series consists of six books and has sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide.
A plan to adapt the books for the screen has been in the works since the first book was released in 2013. At the time, Universal Pictures paid seven figures for the rights to the book, and Joe Roth was attached to produce. Netflix took over the rights in 2020 and began filming at Belfast Harbour Studios in Northern Ireland in January 2021.
"To have one of your favorite directors adapt your book into a film for Netflix is an honor and a dream," Chainani said following the announcement Netflix had tapped Paul Feig to direct. "Paul Feig is a brilliant filmmaker and a master of tone -- a perfect fit for the twists and turns of The School for Good and Evil. I have no doubt that he will make a true fairy tale classic." The author will also serve as a producer on the film adaptation.
Fishburne most recently appeared as Pops in the ABC series Black-ish, while Yeoh stars as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in Star Trek: Discovery on Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access). Yeoh also stars as Aleta Ogord and Jiang Nan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The latest School for Good and Evil casting news comes just two weeks after Netflix dropped the trailer for its upcoming Shadow and Bone series, which is based on another sci-fi/fantasy book franchise by Leigh Bardugo. That series tells the story of soldier and orphan Alina Starkov, who unleashes an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her war-torn country free. Shadow and Bone debuts on Netflix on April 23.
Directed by Paul Feig, The School for Good and Evil also stars Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Sofia Wylie and Sophia Anne Caruso. The film is scheduled to debut on Netflix in 2022.
Source: Deadline