Hannah Takes the Stairs and Uncle Kent director Joe Swanberg’s has assembled a star-studded lineup for Easy, a new anthology series headed to Netflix.
Toplining the casting bill are Orlando Bloom, Malin Akerman, Michael Chernus, Marc Maron, Elizabeth Reaser, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jake Johnson, Aya Cash, Dave Franco, Jane Adams and Hannibal Burress – who recently joined the ranks of Paramount’s Baywatch opposite Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron.
Written, directed and executive produced by Swanberg, the indie drama represents a passion project for the creator, and retains elements – albeit slack elements – of mumblecore filmmaking. That is, in essence, a creative process that favors low-key techniques and improvised dialog in order to nurture a lax and ultimately more believable viewing experience. Lena Dunham, the Duplass brothers and Lynn Shelton are among the few creators that still employ such a technique.
As for the general setup of Easy, Netflix’s new series is to revolve around a group of Chicago citizens, as they struggle to navigate the “modern maze of love, sex, technology and culture.” With such a starry ensemble in tow, coupled with that anthology framework, we’re holding out hope that the company’s latest addition to its crowded roster resembles Aziz Ansari’s Master of None – topical, insightful and damn funny.
We’ll keep you updated as Easy nears its debut on the streaming service.