Hulu's Immigrant Series Will Be Helmed By WandaVision Director Matt Shakman
The wild true story behind the creation of Chippendales is coming to Hulu, and the project has a killer team on board. The Kumail Nanjiani-led limited series, tentatively titled "Immigrant," has brought "Wandavision" filmmaker Matt Shakman on board to direct and executive produce, per Deadline.
Shakman is replacing previously announced director Ramin Bahrani ("The White Tiger"). The filmmaker's credits include episodes of "Game of Thrones" and "Succession," and he most recently helmed all nine episodes of the Disney+ phenomenon "WandaVision." Shakman is also currently slated to direct an upcoming "Star Trek" film.
The Wild True Story Adds To Its Cast
The Hulu series will tell the unbelievable true story behind the inception of the male strip club Chippendales, with Nanjiani playing club creator Somen "Steve" Banerjee. The announcement also includes new key cast additions.
"Immigrant" will also star "Roswell, New Mexico" actor Quentin Plair as Otis, a Black Chippendales dancer who comes into conflict with Banerjee over his club policies regarding race. "Bates Motel" and "Transformers: Age of Extinction" actress Nicola Peltz will play model Dorothy Stratten, who in real life was murdered by her husband, Chippendales associate Paul Snider.
In fact, the true story behind Chippendales is rife with crime and scandal, eventually culminating in Banerjee pleading guilty to racketeering and murder for hire charges, according to ABC News. The story behind the classic dance club is twisted and tragic. Robert Siegel, whose series "Pam & Tommy" is currently revisiting another lurid scandal, is writing and executive producing the series under the working title "Immigrant."
Banerjee's story has been told before, most recently in the Gimlet Media podcast "Welcome To Your Fantasy." Another "Pam & Tommy" team member, director Craig Gillespie, is still reportedly working on a film about the entrepreneur with Dev Patel attached to star and Seth Rogen and Elle Fanning in supporting roles. The Chippendales inception story is a particular flavor of darkly absurd that some viewers are especially drawn to lately, though early backlash to "Pam & Tommy" is a pertinent reminder that any retelling of a true story with real victims should be taken seriously by all involved.
Jenni Konner ("Girls") will co-showrun "Immigrant" with Siegel, while the writers room boasts talent including playwright Rajiv Joseph and "Bojack Horseman" writer Mehar Sethi. Joseph, Konner, Siegel, Nanjiani, and Shakman will all produce alongside Emily V. Gordon, Dylan Sellers, and Nora Silver.