‘Top Boy’ Netflix spin-off would shift focus to Jaq
Top Boy creator Ronan Bennett has revealed there may be spin-off series in the works.
Top Boy, which recently concluded after five seasons, followed the lives of drug dealers Dushane and Sully, living and operating on an estate in Hackney. Originally starting on Channel 4, the series moves over to Netflix for its remaining three seasons.
The BAFTA-winning series had a number of influential executive producers including its stars Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson (Kano), as well as rapper Drake. Other musicians involved in the series included Dave and Little Simz.
Now, Bennett has revealed there may be a possibility for another instalment in the drama series, which would focus on the character of Jaq Lawrence, a drug dealer who took over the Summerhouse estate while Dushane was in Jamaica at the start of season three.
According to Deadline, Bennett told BBC Radio 5 Live: “We are talking to Netflix about a spin-off, which will be around Jaq.”
He then added that the streaming service would “probably be angry with [him] for mentioning it.” He explained: “I’ve learned through bitter experience not to talk too much about shows that are in the future.”
He elaborated: “You just never know if they’re going to get made. And in fact, most shows that are developed actually don’t get made. You can write the script and, for whatever reason, they don’t get made. So you end up looking like a bit of a fool for mentioning it. But I have hopes that this will work.”
The show became one of Netflix’s most successful UK shows of all time, receiving critical acclaim for its themes, writing and acting.
Bennett suggested there is still some opportunity to extend the series, saying: “I think that the world of Top Boy, the world that we jointly created, is so rich, it’s so deep, and it has that fanatical following that it’s something that still has life in it.”
He concluded: “Some shows reach their end, and you kind of go, ‘Thank god they’ve ended, I love that show, but they’ve run out of steam’. But I do feel that there’s more juice to squeeze from Top Boy.”
Last month, Walters revealed to Louis Theroux the biggest regret of his life, during an episode of Louis Theroux Interviews.
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Alex Berry
NME
