Deadline is reporting that The CW’s Nancy Drew pilot has landed its male lead in Shetland actor Tunji Kasim. He’ll be playing Nancy’s secret flame Ned “Nick” Nickerson, a former high school sports prodigy who’s working as a car mechanic when he becomes suspect in a murder alongside Nancy.
Based on the book series of the same name, with Noga Landau (The Magicians) scripting and Melinda Hsu Taylor (The Vampire Diaries) serving as showrunner, Nancy Drew follows its title character (newcomer Kennedy McMann), an 18-year-old small town girl just out of high school who dreams of starting college away from her hometown. However, a family tragedy gets in the way of her move and soon Nancy rekindles her love of detective work and discovers secrets that will shake the fabric of her town.
In addition to his role on the British crime drama, Kasim has appeared on the likes of Nearly Famous and Cold Feet, as well as 2016 Meryl Streep film Florence Foster Jenkins. He joins a cast that also includes Leah Lewis (Charmed).
Nancy Drew is one of six pilots The CW has in development for next season, five of whom are either a spinoff or series adaptation of intellectual property. Their roster includes DC-verse spinoff Batwoman; Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene; Jane the Virgin spinoff Jane the Novela; a new take on The Lost Boys; and Glamorous, about a YouTube vlogger working at a cosmetics company.
