Ridley Scott's latest project is Philadelphia crime thriller 'Dope Thief'
Published in Entertainment News
PHILADELPHIA — This week Apple TV+ released a glimpse into Ridley Scott’s latest project, the new Philly-set crime drama "Dope Thief." The story follows best friends Ray (Brian Tyree Henry) and Manny (Wagner Moura) who run a scam posing as Drug Enforcement Administration agents to rob small-time drug dealers — until one day they unwittingly steal from a shadowy narcotics empire.
“Here in the 215, youse are gonna get your heads shot off,” one character tells the pair in a new trailer, foreshadowing the chaos to come.
Set to premiere on March 14, "Dope Thief" follows Ray and Manny as their lives spiral out of control, chased by drug lords who threaten to kill everyone they know. The series is based on Philadelphia mystery novelist Dennis Tafoya’s book of the same name. Tafoya serves as a consulting producer on the show.
Henry received an Emmy nod for his supporting role as Paper Boi on FX’s "Atlanta" and recently appeared in "The Fire Inside," "Causeway" and "Bullet Train." (He has also been nominated for an Oscar and a Tony.) His co-star Moura is best known for being the villain in a different crime thriller — "Narcos," where he played Colombian narco terrorist Pablo Escobar, earning a Golden Globes nod for best actor.
Scott, the blockbuster filmmaker whose recent credits include "Gladiator II," "Napoleon" and "House of Gucci," is an executive producer and directs the first of eight episodes. "Dope Thief" executive producer and creator Peter Craig, who collaborated with Scott as a story writer on "Gladiator II," previously wrote screenplays for action-packed thrillers "Top Gun: Maverick," "The Batman" and "The Town."
"Dope Thief" was filmed in Philadelphia and neighboring suburbs, including Bucks County. The trailer flashes shots of City Hall, the El, and Eastern State Penitentiary while featuring some strong Philly accents, especially from Ray’s mom Theresa, played by "Orange Is the New Black" actor Kate Mulgrew.
Apple TV+ will drop the first two episodes of "Dope Thief" on March 14 and subsequent episodes will release weekly on Fridays through April 25.
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