Casting is underway for Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Dark Horse’s The Umbrella Academy written by Gerard Way and drawn by Gabriel Ba. The Netflix series is set to be produced by Fargo’s Steve Blackman. The series is set to begin production in Toronto in January, with filming wrapping up in July. Way is anticipated to act as an executive producer.
Omega Underground uncovered a bevy of audition tapes for the main roles of the upcoming Netflix show. Tapes were discovered for the roles of Luther (aka Spaceboy), Diego Hargreeves (aka The Kraken), Klaus Hargreeves (aka The Séance) and Number 5 (aka The Boy).
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Luther, aka Spaceboy, is the leader of the Umbrella Academy. Spaceboy has the body of a martian gorilla and his powers are enhanced physical strength and resilience. Audition tapes for Ben Thompson and Skyler Maxon were found for this role.
Diego Hargreeves, aka The Kraken, is a reckless member of the Academy. He is known to rebel against Spaceboy’s orders. The Kraken’s power is the ability to hold his breath indefinitely. He is also highly skilled at throwing knives and has no vision in his right eye, wearing an eye patch when not wearing his mask. Audition tapes for this role were found for Billy Dec, Alec Whaite, and Russell Lewis.
Klaus Hargreeves, aka The Séance, is another member of the Umbrella Academy known for his morbid and unsettled nature. He has powers of levitation, telekinesis, and the ability to contact the deceased. However, his powers can only be used when he is not wearing shoes. He has tattoos of “Hello” and “Goodbye” on his palms and he is thought to have used drugs from a young age. Audition tapes for Joshua Moore, Tommy Savas, Andrew Durand, and Stephen Lewis Grush were found for this role.
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Number 5, aka The Boy, is also a member of the Academy. He has the body of a 10 year old boy and the ability to travel in time. His body is stuck in time and cannot age as a result of his travelling 50 years into the future as a 10 year old. An audition tape for this role was found for Luke Ryan (Black Mass).
The Umbrella Academy was first released in September of 2007 with The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite and it won an Eisner Award in 2008 for Best Finite Series/Limited Series.