The director lineup for Peacock’s new crime drama series “Superfakes” has been decided.
Variety has exclusively learned that Jim McKay, Karena Evans, and Andrii Parekh are set to direct the show, which picks up on the NBCU streamer in January 2025. Evans will direct the pilot, and McKay will direct multiple episodes. Both will also serve as executive producers.
Lucy Liu will lead the cast of “Superfake,” with additional cast members including Ken Leung, Bohan Phoenix, Michelle Lee Jones, and Keith Leung. The show’s logline reads, “A low-level Chinatown counterfeit dealer (Liu) ventures into the dangerous black market underworld to finance a respectable life in the suburbs for his family.”
McKay most recently worked on Season 3 of Paramount+’s hit series “Tulsa King,” as well as shows such as Apple TV’s “Smoke” and “Black Bird,” and Prime Video’s “American Lust.” His other credits include “Breaking Bad,” “Mr. Robot,” “The American,” and “Better Call Saul.”
Evans has directed shows such as “P-Valley,” “Snowfall,” “Dead Ringers,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and the HBO Max reboot of “Gossip Girl.” She was also the first woman to win the Prism Lipset Award in 2018, the same year she won the Much Music Video Award for Best Director and the BET Award for Video of the Year for Drake’s “God’s Plan.”
Parekh won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for Succession in 2020 and was nominated in the same category for the show’s final season in 2024. He also directed episodes of HBO shows such as “Watchmen” and “House of the Dragon.” Parekh is also a renowned cinematographer, having worked on films such as “Half Nelson,” “Mississippi Grind,” “Blue Valentine” and “Roofman.”
McKay is repped by Verve. Evans is repped by CAA, Taj Critchlow/Karoshi Management and Granderson de Roches. Mr. Parekh is repped by Linden Entertainment and Murtha Scolas Agency.
The series will be written by creator Alice Zhu, who will serve as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Additionally, Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie will serve as executive producers along with 3 Arts’ Howard Klein and Olivia Gerke. Ronald Bronstein and Eli Bush will also executive produce alongside Liu, McKay and Evans. Produced by A24 and UCP.
