Tatiana Maslany joins Matthew Rhys for HBO's hot Perry Mason series

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Tatiana Maslany joins Matthew Rhys for HBO's hot Perry Mason series
Photo: Jenny Anderson

First there was the Hot Young Pope. Then came Hot Archie. Now, from the network that brought you the aforementioned Hot Young Pope comes Hot Perry Mason, starring Matthew Rhys (aka Hot Russian Spy Husband) as the classic defense attorney. According to Deadline, Tatiana Maslany will join Rhys for some steamy courtroom action in HBO’s Perry Mason. The Orphan Black star has signed on for a lead role in the series, which is set in 1932 and follows Mason as he investigates “the case of the decade” amidst a country recovering from the Great Depression and turning to oil. That case has something to do with a kidnapped child, which is admittedly not very hot.

Maslany will play a character named Sister Alice, an evangelical preacher who delivers numerous sermons in person and via radio to the devout congregation of the Radiant Assembly Of God. Maslany’s character is described as “Entertainer, politician, God’s conduit to the City of Angels, Sister Alice wields great power when she speaks, and plans to use it in ways only she can know.” That’s sure to throw a few, uh, kinks in Hot Perry Mason’s investigation. The series comes from Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald, who will serve as executive producers, writers, and showrunners, with Robert Downey Jr.’s Team Downey also producing.

24 Comments

  • smittywerbenjagermanjensen22-av says:

    They should get the actress that played Helena on Orphan Black too, she and Sarah had such great chemistry

  • dirtside-av says:

    Two lead actors who are best known for TV series in which they played a whole bunch of different characters. Okay, so Rhys’s situation was a little different (they were all just Philip Jennings in disguise), but still.Anyway, it sounds like Maslany’s part is based on Aimee Semple McPherson. And that the show will be at least somewhat serialized (like most dramas these days) since there wouldn’t be any other reason for a defense lawyer and a radio preacher to come into contact repeatedly.

    • captain-splendid-av says:

      “there wouldn’t be any other reason for a defense lawyer and a radio preacher to come into contact repeatedly.”Carnivale would have made it work. Just saying.

  • captain-splendid-av says:

    Hollywood, this is why we hate you: Two of the best actors working in TV right now, and the project you’re going to build around them is a reboot of an adaptation that you’re basically going to try and prestige up with a historical setting. Fuck you. I hope your cocaine dealer is out of blow this weekend, you fucking schmucks.

    • dr-boots-list-av says:

      Great actors + horrible premises + lazy writing = Hahahaha we know you’re gonna watch it anyways suckaaah just try cancelling your HBOgo subscription, we dare you!

      • captain-splendid-av says:

        “just try cancelling your HBOgo subscription”Once the credits roll on the finale of GoT, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing.

        • dr-boots-list-av says:

          “Okay, just try canceling your parents HBO subscription, or your sister-in-law’s neice’s grandmothers’, which is what most of you fucking millenials are watching it on anyways.”

  • sanfransam54-av says:

    I saw the headline and was hoping TM was going to play a Hot Della Street.If they are setting it back in the 1930s, I wonder if they are going back to character that ESG created. PM was a bit of a shady character and not the clean cut upstanding citizen that Raymond Burr portrayed.TCM showed some of the PM movies from the 30s.  They’re pretty wild.  Check ‘em out.

    • khalleron-av says:

      I read some of the books when I was about 12-13 and I was frankly shocked – shocked! – at the goings on.

      It is where I learned the phrase ‘slap and tickle’ as a euphemism for sex.

  • bennyboy56-av says:

    So Tatiana will be playing his beard?

  • bs-leblanc-av says:

    Maslany will play a characters named Sister Alice, ____, _____, _____, and _____.Fixed it, just fill in the rest

  • enemiesofcarlotta-av says:

    We need a good ‘30s noir set in L.A., see. Some private dics, a couple of flouzies and real strong dames. Maybe Perry Mason will run into some real wise guys flapping their gums. The casting oozes with moxie, so you can bet your bottom doller I’ll be watching, slim.

  • docprof-av says:

    Well shit. I have no interest in watching a Perry Mason reboot, but I have a lot of interest in watching a project starring Matthew Rhys and Tatiana Maslany.

  • ofaycanyousee-av says:

    Matthew Rhys is hot?

  • praxinoscope-av says:

    Well the books were insanely popular and have been previously adapted for radio, film and television so this is actually pretty appropriate. Christ, Raymond Burr even did a ton of Perry Mason TV movies in the 80s until he died, that’s how popular the character was. The fact he hasn’t been resurrected again sooner is more of an anomaly than a symptom of Hollywood’s remake mania. It’s no different than doing another Sherlock Holmes or Robin Hood story.The books also date back to the thirties so this isn’t prestige historical dressing, it’s getting back to the material’s roots and just makes sense. I’ve never been a fan but a lavish, well made period piece that’s a little bit classy and a little bit pulpy could actually be a pretty good watch. Honestly, it’s more of what HBO should be doing. Let everyone else cater to the fanboys. I think there may be an audience out there primed for something like this. 

  • daymanskarateschool-av says:

    Excuse me, but young Raymond Burr could get it:More importantly: who is gonna play Della?

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