‘Dexter’ Prequel Series Casts Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater, Molly Brown in Lead Roles

The “Dexter” prequel series at Paramount+ with Showtime has found its three leads.

Variety has learned that Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater, and Molly Brown are all set to star in the show, which is now titled “Dexter: Original Sin.” Gibson will play Dexter Morgan, while Slater will play Harry Morgan, Dexter’s adoptive father. Brown will play Debra Morgan, Dexter’s sister. The three roles were played by Michael C. Hall, James Remar, and Jennifer Carpenter respectively in the original series.

The 10-episode prequel was originally announced in February 2023. It is set in 1991, 15 years before the events of “Dexter.” The official logline states that the new show “follows Dexter (Gibson) as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. When his bloodthirsty urges can’t be ignored any longer, Dexter must learn to channel his inner darkness. With the guidance of his father, Harry (Slater), he adopts a Code designed to help him find and kill people who deserve to be eliminated from society without getting on law enforcements’ radar. This is a particular challenge for young Dexter as he begins a forensics internship at the Miami Metro Police Department.”

GIbson’s TV credits include “Shadow and Bone” and “The OA” at Netflix. He has also starred in features such as “Tolkien,” “Good Girl Jane,” and “Property of the State.”

Slater is known for his roles in films like “True Romance,” “Interview with the Vampire,” and “Heathers,” while he also won a Golden Globe in 2016 for his work in the USA Network series “Mr. Robot.” He counts recent shows like “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” “Dr. Death,” and “Dirty John” among his credits.

Brown has appeared on shows like “Billions,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Evil,” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” In film, she is best known for her work in the comedy feature “Senior Year.”

Gibson is repped by Gersh, Curtis Brown Group, Range Media Partners, and Felker Toczek. Slater is repped by UTA. Brown is repped by Buchwald and Authentic Talent & Literary Management.

Clyde Phillips, the original showrunner and executive producer on “Dexter,” returns in that role for “Original Sin.” Hall is also an executive producer on the series, as is Scott Reynolds, Mary Leah Sutton, Tony Hernandez, and Lilly Burns. Michael Lehmann, the director of “Heathers,” will serve as director and executive producer. Robert Lloyd Lewis is a producer on the series. Showtime Studios and Counterpart Studios produce. Gary Levine and Urooj Sharif will oversee for Showtime Studios, with production supervised by Tara Power. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of Paramount+ markets.

“Dexter” received significant critical acclaim during its time on the air, including multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for best drama series. Hall was also nominated five consecutive times for both an Emmy and Golden Globe for best actor in a drama for his work on the show, winning the Golden Globe in 2010. John Lithgow picked up an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his guest starring role in the show’s fourth season. The series also won a Peabody Award in 2008.

This is the latest attempt to expand on the “Dexter” IP. In 2021, Showtime aired the sequel series “Dexter: New Blood,” which picked up 10 years after the events of the original series finale. Both the prequel and the sequel are part of a larger Paramount strategy to build franchises around their best known properties. At the time the “Dexter” prequel was announced, it was also reported that multiple spinoffs of “Billions” are also in the works.

This is also the latest news regarding a new iteration of a beloved Showtime series. Variety exclusively reported that Amazon is now developing a “Nurse Jackie” sequel series with Edie Falco returning after the project had previously been in the works at Showtime.