Juliette Lewis & Christina Ricci Among Eight Cast In Showtime Drama Pilot ‘Yellowjackets’

Denise Petski

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Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Juliette Lewis (Camping) and Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything) are set as series regulars in Showtime drama pilot Yellowjackets, from writers Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos), Entertainment One and studio-based producer Drew Comins.

Rounding out the cast are regulars Ella Purnell (Sweetbitter), Sammi Hanratty (Shameless), Sophie Thatcher (Prospect), Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief), Steven Krueger (The Originals) and Amy Okuda (Atypical). They join previously announced Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress and Jasmin Savoy Brown.

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Karyn Kusama (Destroyer) will direct and executive produce the pilot, a co-production of Showtime and Entertainment One. Comins of Creative Engine also serves as executive producer.

Written by Lyle and Nickerson, Yellowjackets is equal parts survival epic, horror story and coming-of-age drama and tells the narrative of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to warring, cannibalistic clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.

Lewis and Thatcher star as the respective adult and teen versions of Natalie. Despite her natural talent, Natalie’s punk rock spirit and habit of finding trouble make her the unlikeliest member of the team. As an adult, Natalie struggles to quiet the demons that still haunt her from her time in the wilderness.

Ricci and Hanratty will respective play adult and teen versions of Misty, the Yellowjackets’ equipment manager. Eager to please and easy to overlook, Misty’s abundance of team spirit belies a hidden dark side.

Purnell will play Jackie, the Yellowjackets’ magnetically charismatic, effortlessly popular, occasionally entitled team captain.

Nélisse will play Lynskey’s counterpart as the teen version of Shauna.

Krueger joins as Ben Scott, the assistant coach and the object of many an unrequited crush.

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Okuda will play Cat Wheeler, a history teacher recruited to bolster the female presence on the coaching staff, despite knowing literally nothing about soccer.

Lewis received an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for her role in Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear and an Emmy nomination for HBO movie Hysterical Blindness. She recently played Jandice in HBO’s Camping and next will be seen in Tate Taylor’s Breaking News in Yuba County as well as the HBO limited drama series I Know This Much Is True. She’s currently shooting indie feature Mayday. She’s repped by UTA and Untitled Entertainment.

Thatcher’s film credits include Prospect and The Tomorrow Man. She’s repped by ICM Partners, Anonymous Content and Jackoway Tyerman.

Ricci most recently starred in Z: The Beginning of Everything, for which she also served as executive producer. In film, she starred in critically acclaimed roles in Black Snake Moan, Monster, The Ice Storm and The Opposite of Sex, for which she earned Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations. She’s repped by ICM, Untitled Entertainment and Melanie Cook of Ziffren Brittenham.

Hanratty has recurred on Shameless, Salem, Chosen and Pushing Daisies.

Purnell is best known for her starring roles in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Sweetbitter. Additional credits include Maleficent and Kickass 2.

Nélisse is best known for her lead role in the critically acclaimed feature The Book Thief, along with feature roles in Monsieur Lazhar, Pawn Sacrifice and 1:54. She’s repped by ICM Partners.

Krueger is best known for his series regular role in The Original. He’s other notable TV credits include a recurring role on Pretty Little Liars, and guest spots on Hawaii Five-O, Anger Managment, Two and a Half Men and Workaholics. His feature work includes a supporting role in Goosebumps and the lead role in indie thriller Satanic. He’s repped by Abrams Artists Agency and Allen Edelman Management.

Okuda’s credits include recurring roles on How to Get Away With Murder, Atypical, The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She’s repped by The Kohner Agency and Authentic Talent & Literary Management.

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