Jurnee Smollett To Star Alongside Taron Egerton In New Apple Drama Series ‘Firebug’

Emmy nominee Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country, Underground) is set to lead the new Apple Original drama series Firebug, loosely inspired by events surrounding notorious California arsonist John Leonard Orr. She will star alongside Taron Egerton in the project developed, written and executive produced by Dennis Lehane.

Firebug will follow a troubled detective and an enigmatic arson investigator (Egerton) as they pursue the trail of two serial arsonists. Smollett will play Michelle, a rising-star detective. Set in the contemporary Pacific Northwest the fictional series uses as its launching pad some events documented in truth.media’s acclaimed Firebug podcast. Orr, the inspiration for the podcast, worked for the Glendale Fire Department in Southern California as a fire captain and arson investigator who later was convicted of being a serial arsonist and mass murderer.

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In addition to starring, Egerton will serve as executive producer alongside Richard Plepler through Eden Productions, Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas through Imperative Entertainment and Kary Antholis.

Firebug is the latest project hailing from Apple Studios and produced by Imperative Entertainment, joining Black Bird, Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and the recently announced The Wager, an adaptation of David Grann’s new book being developed by Sikelia Productions.

Smollett most recently starred in the Amazon MGM Studios legal drama The Burial, alongside Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones. She also is featured in the independent drama We Grown Now, which was nominated for Best Feature at the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards. Up next, she will star opposite Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult in crime thriller The Order.

Smollett also led the Netflix original thriller Lou, in which she stars and executive produces alongside Allison Janney. Additional film credits include Netflix’s Spiderhead and Birds of Prey for Warner Bros.

She is known for her role in J.J. Abrams, Jordan Peele and Misha Green’s acclaimed HBO drama series Lovecraft Country. Her performance earned an Emmy nomination in 2021 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Smollett is repped by Entertainment 360, CAA and Nina Shaw.

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