Amazon’s upcoming series adaptation of E. Lockhart’s young adult mystery We Were Liars has cast its four main young leads. Per Deadline, Emily Alyn Lind (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Esther McGregor (Baby Girl), Joseph Zada (Total Control) and newcomer Shubham Maheshwari will star in series regular roles.
Written by Lockhart in 2014, We Were Liars is “a tragic love story and an amnesia thriller set on a privately owned island off the coast of Massachusetts. It centers on the wealthy, seemingly perfect Sinclair family, who spend every summer on their private island.”
Lind plays Cadence, “the revered eldest granddaughter of a Kennedy-esque American dynasty is effortlessly clever and adventurous and has a knack for dramatic storytelling. She falls in love for the first time during an idyllic, dreamy summer with her best friends on her family’s private island in New England… blissfully unaware that just a year later, she will be a shell of her former self — sharp-edged, plagued by migraines, and unable to remember the events that lead to her frightening traumatic brain injury. In her pursuit of answers, Cadence is about to unravel everything she’s been raised to believe about the Sinclair family’s fairy-tale lore.”
Maheshwari is Gat. “Thoughtful, ambitious, and intelligent, Gat is a New York City kid with an edge — so he can’t help but feel a bit out of place amongst Martha’s Vineyard’s cashmere-and-gingham elite. That said, he returns to Beechwood Island, year after year, unable to resist spending summers with his best friend… who he’s been pining for since before he knew what pining is. This year, she finally seems to be reciprocating his feelings — but the timing couldn’t be worse, because Gat now has a secret that could drive her away forever.”
McGregor plays Mirren. “Wickedly funny and keenly observant, Mirren is a study in contradiction. She’s an artist who is too worried about being perfect to color outside the lines. She craves new experiences, but clings to childhood like a safety blanket. She’s dying to lose her virginity… but refuses to do anything she isn’t absolutely sure she’ll excel at on the first try. However, when she inadvertently stumbles across a scandalous family secret, she is catapulted out of her comfort zone… ready or not.”
Zada portrays Johnny. “Charismatic, dirty-minded, and occasionally reckless, Johnny is the ringleader of his friends’ more mischievous adventures. He moves through life like he’s invincible — after all, he’s never met a problem his emotional support Amex can’t solve. This summer, he’s about to collide with accountability for the very first time. Suffice it to say he’s not a fan.”
The four will star alongside Mamie Gummer (True Detective), Candace King (The Vampire Diaries) and Caitlin FitzGerald (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Arsher Ali (Funny Woman), David Morse (The Green Mile) and Wendy Crewson (Gray).
We Were Liars is written and produced by Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie for Universal TV and Amazon MGM with Lockhart executive producing. The first episode will be written by Plec and directed by Nzingha Stewart (Daisy Jones & The Six) while MacKenzie will write the second episode.
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.
