Drake debuted a first look at the new series at Top Boy during his show at London’s O2 Arena.
Later released on online by Netflix, the short film acts as a cast announcement for the series: Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson reprise their roles as Dushane and Sully, but will be joined by newcomer Micheal Ward as Jamie.
The original show aired on Channel 4 in the UK before its end in 2013, with both series now available on Netflix. A new chapter of the story will also now debut on the streaming service, consisting of ten episodes, created and written by Ronan Bennett.
Drake announced he brought the rights back in 2016, having been a fan of the series for several years. He now executive produces, alongside the show original creative team, Charles Steel, Alasdair Flind, Ronan Bennett, and Yann Demange.
Bennett said in a statement that he was inspired to create the show after he “witnessed a 10-year-old boy dealing drugs outside my local supermarket”, adding that “it made me question what was going on in my own community”.
Waters said: “Top Boy is a raw, real representation of street culture. It explores how these characters came to make the choices they make, and gives the audience a behind-the-scenes look as to what is happening on our streets today. It needs to be talked about and the show doesn’t shy away from giving us the platform to tell our story. We can’t change things if we do not acknowledge it and understand it first. Netflix is the perfect platform for this show, there aren’t many networks who would be brave enough to keep it this real.”
The series also features musical artists Little Simz and Dave, while Shone Romulus returns as Dris and Ashley Thomas returns as Jermaine. New cast members include Lisa Dwan, Jasmine Jobson, Kadeem Ramsay, Saffron Hocking, Kola Bokinni and Hope Ikpoku.
The story will follow Dushane as he returns from exile to his home in London to reclaim his throne in the drug market. He teams up with Sully, his partner and sometime rival, who has been released from prison. However, they must both face Jamie, the ruthless new gang leader on the scene.
Top Boy will debut on Netflix later this year.
