HBO has delivered some terrific comedies over the years, from the quirky musical series Flight of the Conchords to biting political satire Veep, and with the cast that the premium cable network is pulling together for its upcoming comedy The Brink, there’s reason to believe HBO has another major hit on its hands.
Now, our anticipation has been raised with news that Watchmen actress Carla Gugino has joined the cast in a multi-episode arc. Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption), Jack Black (School of Rock) and Pablo Schreiber (Orange Is The New Black) all topline The Brink, which is described as “an epic dark comedy.”
As per Deadline: The Brink focuses on “a geopolitical crisis and its effect on three disparate and desperate men: U.S. Secretary of State Walter Hollander (Robbins); Alex Coppins (Black), a lowly Foreign Service officer; and Zeke Callahan (Pablo Schreiber), an ace Navy fighter pilot. These three compromised souls must pull through the chaos around them to save the planet from World War III.”
Gugino is on board to play Hollander’s wife, Joanne Larson, described as “a Washington super lawyer in her prime, and a formidable match to her husband.” Her involvement is certainly reason for celebration; with recurring gigs on HBO’s Entourage and Showtime’s Californication under her belt, in addition to a vast variety of film roles, Gugino has proven herself highly adept at traversing comedy and drama.
In addition to Robbins, Black, Schreiber and Gugino, The Brink co-stars Aasif Mandvi, Maribeth Monroe, Geoff Pierson, Esai Morales and Eric Ladin. Jay Roach (The Campaign) directed the series from a script by brothers Roberto and Kim Benabib. Though The Brink is Kim’s first writing credit, Roberto has penned episodes of shows including Weeds, Ally McBeal, Herman’s Head and Doctor Doctor. Jerry Weintraub is executive-producing alongside Roach and Robert Benabib.
The Brink is expected to arrive on HBO at some point this year or in early 2015.
