After redefining appointment TV with her culture-shifting Power universe, famed writer/producer Courtney Kemp is back with sleek new crime thriller Nemesis which takes her addictive formula to another level on the world’s biggest streaming platform.
Returning to the streaming spotlight is Y’lan Noel (Insecure) who stars opposite versatile Abbott Elementary star Matthew Law in Kemp’s first project since singing a massive 8-figure overall deal with Netflix.
“I am incredibly excited to join the Netflix family, and to continue to develop the kind of entertainment that End of Episode is known for– diverse, multilingual, watercooler, social-media fueled series that pack a serious punch,” said Kemp about the deal, per DEADLINE.
“I am looking forward to working with [Netflix’s Head of Global TV Bela Bajaria] and her team who really appreciate the voice and perspective that we bring to the table.”
Check out the trailer below:
In Nemesis, an expert criminal faces off against a brilliant police detective in the buzzy series that aims to subvert the heist genre while exploring what drives us, sustains us, and ultimately destroys us.
Directed by Mario Van Peebles (Eps 101/102), Millicent Shelton (Eps 103/104), Rob Hardy (Eps 105/106), and Ruben Garcia (Eps 107/108), the series also stars Cleopatra Coleman and Gabrielle Dennis along with a slew of recognizable faces including Domenick Lombardozzi and Michael Potts from The Wire.
With an opening scene (directed by Peebles) that pays homage to Peebles-directed classic New Jack City, it’s clear Nemesis is operating at a different creative frequency than other crime dramas in the streaming space.
“That was surreal, man,” said Noel about the opening scene. “Because we have thee guy who created that telling us everything that went into [New Jack City] and telling me to embody Wesley Snipes a little more–that was crazy!”
At the heart of the chaos is the screen-smoldering rivalry between Noel’s Coltrane Wilder–a slippery criminal mastermind with dreams of getting out the game before crossing paths with hotshot detective Isiah Stiles in a tragic moment that sets Nemesis in motion.
“Y’lan had the role. He was Coltrane Wilder, and I was coming in to audition–I can say it was exceptional because this is the highest level of artist right here,” said Lawrence about meeting Noel for the first time.
“His warmth as the man that he is and as a collaborator was instant. I walked in this room where I don’t know nobody and my life could change in the next five minutes. This man has a job. I don’t. He didn’t have to be warm to me and was fresh from New York and I can only imagine how tired he was but he dapped me up and was like, ‘what can I do to help?’
“So, this is a great dude! That being said, once I got the role he didn’t talk to me (laughs). I had the best coworker because, as Nemesis, we’re in the art and on the job, we’re there, we’re on opposing corners, and we’re doing our thing.”
Holding Coltrane and Isiah down are two dynamic Black women–Coltrane’s wife Ebony who’s ready for life after crime and Isiah’s wife Candice who’s desperately trying to reconnect with her work-obsessed husband.
In sweet moments between the explosive action, Ebony and Candice humanize the men in their lives who appear destined for an ending that neither can escape the deeper they spiral into their beef.
“It was just nice to see a reflection of a lot of women, especially in her age and her space and career,” said Dennis about playing the lovesick Candice in the series.
“She’s reaching out for something that she just can’t get a hold of with her family… I think a lot of women–we give so much to a relationship or so much to a career or so much to our children. You get lost in that, and become the title of a mom or the title of a wife or the title of whatever that is.”
“So, I think for me, it’s great that I think all of the women in the show get a chance to represent, above and beyond, more than what they do for a living.”
Will you be seated for Nemesis when it premieres this Thursday, May 14, on Netflix? Tell us down below!
