Nathan Lane to Star in Showtime's 'Penny Dreadful: City of Angels'

Showtime’s popular psychological thriller Penny Dreadful has crossed the pond from London to Los Angeles, with Nathan Lane among the impressive cast. The East Hampton resident has been cast as a main character in the next installment of the series, titled Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. The original series took place in Victorian Era London with all of fiction’s best gothic figures: Dracula, Dorian Gray, Dr. Frankenstein and his monster and a colorful cast of original characters.

The sequel series will open in 1938 Los Angeles, a time and place deeply infused with social and political tension. When a grisly murder shocks the city, Detective Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto) is embroiled in an epic story that reflects the rich history of Los Angeles—from the building of the city’s first freeways and its deep traditions of Mexican-American folklore, to the dangerous espionage actions of the Third Reich and the rise of radio evangelism. Deadline reports that his younger brother Mateo (Johnathan Nieves) is more susceptible to his own emotions and can be unpredictable despite good intentions. Their youngest sibling Josefina (Jessica Garza) has a much more quiet and overlooked personality. Before long, Tiago and his family will have to fight powerful forces that threaten to tear them apart.

Lane will play Detective Vega’s mentor and ally, Lewis Michener. Michener is a veteran officer in the LAPD, wise to the ways of the world and ruthless in pursuit of his goals. The new series will divulge into an exciting mix of the supernatural and the combustible reality of the period, creating new myths and moral dilemmas within a genuine historical backdrop. This chapter showcases a bold new vision that will employ all new storylines and characters, such as the shape-shifting demon Magda (Natalie Dormer).

There’s currently no set airdate for the next chapter of the Penny Dreadful saga.