Donald Glover’s FX Comedy ‘Atlanta’ Gets Pilot Order
While Community prepares to make the jump to computer screens, former castmate Donald Glover is plotting a return to television. The Childish Gambino rapper will star in and executive produce an FX comedy titled Atlanta. The series will tell the story of two cousins who work their way up the ATL rap scene, Deadline reports. Girls and Flight of the Conchords writer Paul Simms will also work on Atlanta.
Glover, himself a native of Stone Mountain, Georgia, will play Earnest Marks, a college dropout who decides to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a rapper after his cousin becomes a sudden star. It’s been a star-making year for the multi-talented Glover: Childish Gambino‘s Because the Internet was nominated for a Best Rap Album Grammy while Glover lined up roles in Magic Mike XXL and The Martian starring Matt Damon.
“Donald Glover is a uniquely talented actor and performer who brings real-life experience to this subject matter,” said FX president of original programming Nick Grad said in a statement. “He, along with Paul Simms, has a very honest, sometimes serious, and funny perspective on life, the world of rap music and the city of Atlanta.” While Atlanta has been in the works for over a year, the pilot finally received the green light.
In August, Glover lent his voice to the character of Miles Morales in the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors. The character was inspired by the viral campaign started by Community fans that attempted to get Glover, a longtime fan of the webslinger, an audition for The Amazing Spider-Man film reboot. The role ultimately went to actor Andrew Garfield, but if leaked Sony memos suggesting a Spider-Man/Avengers crossover is true with a new actor portraying Peter Parker, then #donald4spiderman may live again.