Ridley Scott Series In Serious Trouble After Firing Lead Actor?
Ridley Scott's AppleTV+ series Sinking Spring has been forced to recast its lead actor after firing Michael Mando following an on-set incident.
Firing a lead actor from a series before its release is not usually a good sign. According to an article from The Hollywood Reporter, actor Michael Mando has been released from his role in the upcoming Ridley Scott-produced Apple TV series Sinking Spring after an on-set incident. Prolific director Ridley Scott hopes this incident doesn’t spell more trouble for the upcoming crime drama series.
The article from The Hollywood Reporter notes that Mando was let go after a “clash with a co-star.” Even though producers attempted to “smooth things out,” they ultimately decided to let the actor go and recast the role. Narcos actor Wagner Moura will replace Michael Mando.
There isn’t currently much information released about the details surrounding the incident. Fans are curious to know what could have incited the conflict and what co-star Mando was at odds with. Although not uncommon, a re-cast of a major character isn’t something done lightly, so the clash must have been of pretty epic proportions to have prompted such immediate and drastic measures.
Michael Mando may be best known for his role as Nacho in AMC’s crime drama Better Call Saul. He also had significant roles in the science fiction series Orphan Black opposite Tatiana Maslany and the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Ridley Scott and the team chose Mando’s replacement, Wagner Moura, a Brazilian actor whose prominent roles in Brazilian film include the drama Carandiru and the crime film Elite Squad and its subsequent sequel Elite Squad 2. His most noteworthy role for American fans is starring in the crime drama television series Narcos, where Moura played the famous drug trafficker Pablo Escobar.
Ridley Scott is an acclaimed film and television director known for his work on well-recognized films like Alien, Bladerunner, The Martian, Black Hawk Down, Thelma & Louise, and Hannibal, among a host of others. He was awarded an Academy Award for Best Picture for the Russell Crowe-led historical action film Gladiator. His most recent work includes a pair of films in 2021: the historical action drama The Last Duel and the biographical crime drama House of Gucci.
Scott is currently working on another project for Apple TV, a historical drama called Napoleon about the rise of the famed French leader.
Sinking Spring is an eight-episode Apple TV series based on Dennis Tafoya’s book Dope Thief. The series is written by Peter Craig, who is known for films like Top Gun: Maverick and The Batman. Ridley Scott is set to executive produce.
Starring Brian Tyree Henry and Moura, Sinking Spring also features actors Marin Ireland, Kate Mulgrew, Amir Arison, Ving Rhames, Dustin Nguyen, Nesta Cooper, Idris Debrand, Liz Caribel, and Will Pullen. The series is about a duo of Philly-area delinquents who impersonate DEA agents to burglarize an unsuspecting house. Unbeknownst to them, they’ve stumbled upon a notorious drug ring and involved themselves in what becomes a life-threatening situation.
As details emerge from the fallout of Michael Mando’s firing, fans are sure to learn about some of the on-set happenings of the series. This incident could have been one in a number of incidents, or it could have been a one-off occurrence spurred by unfortunate circumstances. For fans of Ridley Scott and those excited for Sinking Spring, this is hopefully a welcome change for the better.
