Christian Slater has joined the cast of the new Dexter prequel series, which will follow the titular character’s journey from blood splatter analyst to avenging serial killer.
Officially titled Dexter: Original Sin, the forthcoming series has also cast Patrick Gibson (Shadow and Bone) and Molly Brown (Senior Year).
The prequel was ordered last February by Showtime, which aired the original drama from 2006 to 2013.
Slater, best known for his role in Mr Robot, will play Harry Morgan, a homicide detective and the adoptive father to Dexter Morgan, portrayed by 29-year-old Irish actor Gibson.
Michael C Hall originated the role of Dexter, while James Remar originated the role of Harry.
Set 15 years before the original hit series, Dexter: Original Sin will chronicle the origin story of “America’s favorite serial killer... in training”, streamer Paramount+ has said.
The events of the 10-part series will take place in 1991 Miami when Dexter must learn to channel his bloodthirsty urges. It will see Dexter adopt a code designed to help him find and kill people who he feels deserve to be eliminated from society without getting on law enforcement’s radar with the guidance of his father. This will prove a particular challenge for young Dexter as he begins a forensics internship at the Miami Metro Police Department.
Brown will play Dexter’s younger sister, Debra Morgan – portrayed by Jennifer Carpenter in Dexter.
Dexter’s original showrunner and executive producer, Clyde Phillips, returns in the same capacity for Original Sin. Hall will also act as an executive producer, alongside Scott Reynolds, Mary Leah Sutton, Tony Hernandez, and Lilly Burns.
Original Sin is the second spin-off of the original series. Its arrival comes more than a year after Showtime canceled Dexter: New Blood in January 2023.
New Blood brought back original leads Hall and Carpenter, picking up 10 years after the events of the 2013 season finale.
The sequel was not well-received by critics, with Entertainment Weekly writing: “Neither [Hall] nor New Blood come to feel sharp enough to justify his return as anything but a nostalgia play for a property whose finale likely preempted a lot of nostalgia.”
Original Sin has not yet received a premiere date.
Additional reporting by the Press Association
