Netflix’s Geeked Week got off to a flying start yesterday, with new trailers dropping for some of the most highly-anticipated series of the year, including “The Umbrella Academy,” “The Sandman,” and “Resident Evil.” Today, it’s all things movies, and the most star-studded among the streaming giant’s lineup is “The School for Good and Evil.”
Originally a series of six books written by Soman Chainani, “The School for Good and Evil” charts the fantastical misadventures of two girls, Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), during their time at the titular School for Good and Evil, a place where children are taken to become either fairytale heroes or villains.
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As those familiar with the Harry Potter franchise might expect, the faculty at the school are a ragbag of oddballs, kindly seniors, and devils in disguise, and it’s onto these roles that many big names have latched: Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) plays Professor Anemone; Charlize Theron plays Lady Lesso, the former dean of the School of Evil; Kerry Washington (“Scandal”) plays Professor Dovey, the dean for the School of Good; while Laurence Fishburne features as The School Master. There are also roles for Rachel Bloom, Ben Kingsley, Mark Heap, and Rob Delaney.
And the big names just keep on coming: Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”) directs, with writing credits for Chainani, David Magee (“Life of Pi”), and Malia Scotch Marmo (“Hook”).
“The School for Good and Evil” has been in the works for over a decade. In 2011, several studios bid for it as a possible TV series, with Universal Studios coming out on top with a reportedly seven-figure auction sum. After several developmental hurdles failed to be cleared, and with a final script being served up—after long last—in 2015, Netflix eventually stepped in and acquired the film in 2017. Add to that a long casting process, a shoot in Northern Ireland that included nearly 500 crew members, and a handful of lockdowns, it’s a miracle this thing ever got finished. Luckily for audiences, the wait to see it is very nearly over, with a theater release expected sometime later this year.
“The School of Good and Evil” is coming soon to Netflix. Watch the new trailer below: