‘Warriors’: NBC's Casting Announcements for New Magical Martial Arts Drama Pilot from Universal TV
NBC has given the green light for the production of Warriors, a pilot drama series for the upcoming 2015-2016 season from Universal TV written by David DiGilio described as "set in a grounded, contemporary multicultural and sometimes magical milieu where a damaged heroine works undercover with physical and spiritual guidance from a mysterious martial arts master to bring down an international crime lord."
DiGilio will also be executive producing the project along with Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald. Phillip Noyce, best known for his work on Angelina Jolie's Salt, is set to direct Warriors for the small-screen.
Natalie Martinez, 30, best known for her roles in Under the Dome, Matador, CSI: NY, and Secret and Lies, is cast in the lead role as Kai Forrester, the "damaged heroine." Will Yun Lee, 43, who also starred in the film Wolverine and made recurring appearances in the TV series True Blood and Hawaii Five-0 will play the part of Susano, described as "a deadly and dangerous martial arts expert who is head of a Japanese crime syndicate where he enjoys considerable power, wealth and respect."
Lance Gross, 33, who co-starred in the TV series Crisis, is set to play the role of Agent Golden, described as "an Interpol agent and former Navy SEAL who gives Kai the news that she is their best shot at getting an agent inside the triad." The 26-year-old singer-songwriter model Andy Allo is cast as the daughter of the international crime syndicate's New York boss.
Rila Fukushima who co-starred with Hugh Jackman in The Wolverine and who has a recurring role as Tatsu Yamashiro in the TV series Arrow will play the role of the comatose Tasu who "appears to Kai in her dreams or when she's unconscious."
Lights Out star Holt McCallany, 50, is cast as Andriv Vorobin, described as "a former prize fighter and an expert in MMA, still formidable in the ring, who runs a gym in New York while also heading the local YOMI." The YOMI is apparently the name of the international crime syndicate.