Martin Scorsese-backed Netflix casino drama adds Vincent D’Onofrio, Kate Mara and more

Well, Netflix is clearly not messing about with its new Las Vegas drama The Roman. If you thought this thing was already over the top in the casting department, you might want to brace yourself: they’ve just added a whole new wave of big names, and I’m honestly running out of adjectives.

Star Power Piled On

It was already Oscar Isaac headlining (obviously not bad for your lead), but now we’re looking at Vincent D'Onofrio and Kate Mara joining as regular fixtures. Plus, Clancy Brown and Thomas Sadoski are popping up in recurring roles, and Jason Schwartzman is set for a guest spot. Not exactly the kind of line-up you casually skip past in the Netflix menu.

Who’s Who in The Roman’s Latest Casting Splash

• Vincent D'Onofrio—playing Dominic Ward, an MMA big shot who apparently bends casino bosses to his will, thanks to a lovely mix of business savvy and actual 'knockout power'. You know D'Onofrio: he's got the presence for exactly this sort of manipulative heavy.
• Kate Mara—she's Holly Reeve, billed as a sharp-minded entrepreneur with her own private empire. She’s also got a complicated backstory with the main man, Bobby Red (Oscar Isaac’s character), which basically guarantees juicy flashbacks or at least some unresolved tension.
• Clancy Brown—as Elwood, a bloke with deep roots in the Nevada desert. He’s the type who, to quote the official blurb, 'knows exactly where the city’s literal and metaphorical bodies are buried', which could mean anything from mob clean-up to casino secrets.
• Thomas Sadoski—Chef Luca, a star chef with a tendency to self-destruct, putting both his career and his restaurant residency on the line. Hard to imagine a Vegas drama without one talented-yet-tormented chef, really.
• Jason Schwartzman—dropping in as David Krupp, your textbook clean-cut rich kid who digs himself into trouble with casino debts. Schwartzman has made a career out of playing this sort of quietly disastrous heir, so fair play.

Not the First Big Names

What makes this even more over-the-top is the fact that the new cast are joining folks like Betty Gilpin, Alec Baldwin, and David Costabile—none of whom count as small potatoes themselves.

The Brains and Bigwigs Behind the Scenes

Behind the camera, you've got Brian Koppelman and David Levien writing and running the show—they're doing the whole executive producer gig too, just to cover all their bases. Martin Scorsese is also on board as EP, giving this the sort of filmmaking stamp that should make any prestige TV fan pay attention.

J.C. Chandor is set to direct the first two episodes and executive produce as well, while Oscar Isaac throws his own hat in the producer ring via his Mad Gene banner.

Vegas Power Struggles, Obviously

The story here focuses on Robert 'Bobby Red' Redman (Oscar Isaac), who’s apparently running the 'hottest hotel casino in town'. If you’ve seen any film set in Vegas, you’ll know what’s coming: Bobby has to pull off all sorts of unlikely, risky moves to stay on top, expand his turf, and survive a business so ruthless you’d wonder why anyone would ever want this job in the first place.

'He must make long-odds moves to secure his position and expand his territory in the sharp-elbowed Las Vegas casino business.'

The Roman is set up as an eight-episode run. It is, by all accounts, shaping up like a stylish punch-up between heavyweight acting talent and proper Vegas melodrama. If that’s your flavour, you’ll want to keep an eye out.