'Genius' Season 2 Cast News, Updates: Young Picasso Chosen to Share Role with Antonio Banderas
The second season of "Genius" on the National Geographic Channel picked its young Picasso. Alex Rich ("True Detective") will share the role with Antonio Banderas who was earlier cast to play the iconic artist, whose life will be the focus of the upcoming installment.
Alongside Rich's casting, producers also filled five roles for "Genius" season 2. Aisling Franciosi ("Game of Thrones"), Clémence Poésy ("Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire"), Poppy Delevingne ("Kingsman: The Golden Circle"), Robert Sheehan ("Fortitude") and Sebastian Roché ("Young Pope") have signed up for the anthology series.
Franciosi will play Fernande Olivier, whom Picasso painted in more than 60 portraits. Poésy will play Picasso's lover, Francoise Gilot, who was also a painter and the mother of his two children, Claude and Paloma.
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Delevingne's role is Marie-Thérèse Walter, Picasso's muse and the mother of his first daughter, Maya. Sheehan will assume the role of Carlos Casagemas, Picasso's best friend, while Roché is Gilot's father.
National Geographic announced the subject of "Genius" season 2 in June and right after the finale of season 1, which focused on Albert Einstein (Geoffrey Rush/Johnny Flynn). Like the first offering, Picasso's life as a budding genius in his youth and an iconic figure in his old age will be told in a non-linear structure.
Banderas casting was confirmed in September. The actor was supposed to star in a Picasso movie in 2012 that did not get made.
"The life story of Pablo Picasso has long since fascinated me and I have so much respect for this man, who also comes from my birthplace Málaga," the actor revealed. "I am thrilled to work with National Geographic, Brian, Ron, Ken and the rest of the 'Genius' team to tell an authentic story of one of the most innovative painters in the world."
The Spanish painter Picasso, who died at 93-years-old, left a lasting legacy in the arts. He was known for introducing the Cubist movement and was regarded as one of the best artists in the 20th century. He was also a poet, playwright, and sculptor.
"Genius" season 2 will premiere on National Geographic Channel in 2018.
