‘MacGruber’ Series Adds Sam Elliott, Laurence Fishburne, Mickey Rourke To Cast
The gang’s all here for theMacGruberTV series at Peacock. The NBCUniversal streamer has added three impressive new cast members to the sequel series to the cult action-comedy film, withSam Elliott, Laurence Fishburne, andMickey Rourkejoining the cast headed byWill Forte.
Varietyreports that Rourke has been cast as the villain of the eight-episodeMacGruberseries at Peacock. The Oscar-nominatedThe Wrestleractor will be playing Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth, “a mysterious villain from MacGruber’s past.”
Also joining Rourke are Sam Elliot as Perry, MacGruber’s father, and Fishburne as General Barrett Fasoose, “a highly decorated soldier who commands the respect of the entire US military.”
Elliott’s character, Perry, has “drifted apart over the years,” but “MacGruber will need his father’s sage guidance if he hopes to succeed.” Meanwhile, Fishburne’s General Barrett Fasoose is currently married to MacGruber’s ex-wife, Vicki St. Elmo.
The three of them join the already-cast Forte, Kristen Wiig, and Ryan Phillippe, who reprise their roles from the 2010 action-comedy film. But they might be the biggest get for Peacock, as all three of them are Oscar-nominated actors who have starred in their fair share of classics — Rourke in films likeDiner,9 1/2 Weeks, andRumble Fish; Elliott in films likeA Star is Born, The Big Lebowski,andTombstone; and Fishburne in theMatrixandJohn Wickfilms. Fishburne will be wrapping up his run on the TV seriesBlack-ishsoon, with the ABC sitcom ending with its upcoming eighth season, freeing him up forMacGruber.
What You Need to Know About the MacGruber Series
The series picks up from the events of the Taccone-directed 2010 movie, which bombed theatrically but quickly developed a cult following. It will feature the return of film cast members Forte, Kristen Wiig, and Ryan Phillippe.
Here is the synopsis for the series:
In “MacGruber,” after rotting in prison for over a decade, America’s ultimate hero and uber patriot MacGruber (played by Forte) is finally released. His mission: to take down a mysterious villain from his past—Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth (Rourke). With the entire world in the crosshairs, MacGruber, Vicki (Wiig), and Piper (Phillippe) must race against time to defeat the forces of evil, only to find that evil may be lurking within.
In addition to reprising his role asMacGruber,Will Fortewill also be writing the series and executive producing with John Solomon and Jorma Taccone.Lorne Michaels,John Goldwyn,Andrew SingerandErin Davidalso serve as executive producers.
