Ava DuVernay’s Central Park Five Netflix drama has unveiled its leading men. Chris Chalk (Gotham), Ethan Herisse (Miss Virginia), Marquis Rodriguez (Chicago Fire), Caleel Harris (Goosebumps 2), and newcomers Freddy Miyares and Justin Cunningham have signed on to Netflix’s limited series from A Wrinkle in Time and 13th director DuVernay.

From left: Freddy Miyares, Justin Cunningham

Chalk will play Adult Yusef Salaam; Miyares and Cunningham will play Adult Raymond Santana and Adult Kevin Richardson, respectively. Together, they will star alongside previously announced Jharrel Jerome and Jovan Adepo (Adult Antron McCray) as the adult men in the Central Park Five case. Jerome will portray Adult Korey Wise in addition to Young Korey Wise.

From left: Marquis Rodriguez, Caleel Harris Netflix

Ethan Herisse will play Young Yusef Salaam; Marquis Rodriguez (Chicago Fire) will play Young Raymond Santana, Jr.; Caleel Harris (Goosebumps 2) will play Young Antron McCray; Asante Blackk will play Young Kevin Richardson. Together with Jerome, they will portray the young teenagers wrongfully accused in 1989.

Filming began this week in New York City. The limited series will be released on Netflix in 2019.

Based on a true story that gripped the nation, the four-episode series will chronicle the notorious case of five teenagers of color who were convicted of a rape they did not commit. The four episode limited series will focus on the five teenagers from Harlem — Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise. The series will span from the spring of 1989, when each were first questioned about the incident, to 2014 when they were exonerated and a settlement was reached with the city of New York.

Netflix

It was previously announced that Michael K. Williams, Vera Farmiga, John Leguizamo, Felicity Huffman, Jharrel Jerome, Jovan Adepo, Niecy Nash, Aunjanue Ellis, Kylie Bunbury, Marsha Stephanie Blake and Storm Reid joined the cast.

DuVernay will write and direct all four episodes of the narrative series. Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King from Participant Media, Oprah Winfrey/Harpo Films, Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh from Tribeca Productions and DuVernay will executive produce.