Sin City is calling — and Oscar Isaac is ready to answer. 

The Golden Globe-winning star, seen most recently in BEEF S2, has signed on to star in and executive produce The Roman, a new eight-episode Netflix series that explores the high-stakes world of Las Vegas casinos. 

Also appearing in the series are Betty Gilpin (Death by Lightning, GLOW), Alec Baldwin (The Departed, the upcoming Kockroach), and David Costabile (Billions, Breaking Bad). They will be joined by Shalom Brune-Franklin (Dune: Prophecy, Sunny Dancer) and Jimmy O. Yang (Finally Home, Interior Chinatown). 

The Roman hails from creators/showrunners/executive producers Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Billions, Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber), no strangers to the world of gambling. Koppelman and Levien made their screenwriting debut with cult poker thriller Rounders, and later wrote the Vegas–set heist thriller Ocean’s Thirteen. 

The pedigree doesn’t stop there: The series will be executive produced by filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who explored the canyons of Las Vegas in his seminal classic Casino. Scorsese also executive produced HBO’s hit gambling drama Boardwalk Empire, set in the East Coast’s Las Vegas, Atlantic City. J.C. Chandor (A Most Violent Year, Triple Frontier) will direct the show’s first two episodes.

Isaac’s role comes as part of a new creative partnership with Netflix, which will have first-look rights on film and series projects with Isaac and Elvira Lind, and Gena Konstantinakos’ production company, Mad Gene. 

Isaac previously starred in Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-winning adaptation of Frankenstein, the new season of the Emmy-winning BEEF anthology, and the ensemble heist film Triple Frontier. Isaac (and Martin Scorsese himself) will next be seen in Julian Schnabel’s In the Hand of Dante, coming to Netflix this year. 

Read on for more information. 

What is The Roman about?

The hour-long drama is set in the high-stakes, sharp-elbowed present-day Las Vegas casino business, which is a modernized but still dangerous version of the legendary city. At the center of it all stands Robert “Bobby Red” Redman, president of the hottest hotel casino in town, who has to make some long odds moves to try and secure his position and take more ground.

Who’s in the cast of The Roman?

The cast of The Roman includes:

• Oscar Isaac (BEEF, Inside Llewyn Davis, A Most Violent Year) as “Bobby Red,” the casino president at the heart of The Roman.
• Betty Gilpin (Death by Lightning, GLOW) as Marla Blake, Bobby’s formidable wife. Marla is a brilliant, highly connected lawyer who knows how to navigate the town’s darkest corners just as well as her husband.
• Alec Baldwin (Kockroach) as Paul “Primo” Clark, a legendary and flint-eyed business technician. Primo is the longtime chairman of the organization and a surrogate father figure to Bobby who isn't afraid to let his protégés fight for his favor
• David Costabile (Billions, Suits, Breaking Bad) as Bill Saverick, the operator of a rival casino. Saverick is a longtime associate of Bobby's who often finds himself caught between being a loyal friend and a target of the town's aggressive business maneuvers.
• Shalom Brune-Franklin (Dune: Prophecy, Sunny Dancer) will play Jessica Christine “JC” Griffin, an alert and ambitious rising star at the casino, JC serves as a vital host and fixer, managing the whims of high rollers while harboring her own big plans for the future.
• Jimmy O. Yang (Finally Home, Interior Chinatown) will play Rich Tzu, a sophisticated, Eton-educated executive who serves as a rival to Bobby.

Who’s behind The Roman?

Koppelman and Levien serve as creators, showrunners, and executive producers. Other executive producers include Scorsese and Sikelia Productions, Julie Yorn and Rick Yorn for Expanded Media, Paul Schiff, Beth Schacter, Isaac, J.C. Chandor, and co-executive producer Kerry Orent. 

Chandor, who previously directed Isaac in Triple Frontier and A Most Violent Year, will direct the first two episodes of The Roman. 

When will The Roman be on Netflix?

Keep your eyes on the roulette table for more information as the series enters production.