Wool: Rashida Jones & David Oyelowo join Apple TV’s dystopian drama

I’ve long considered Rashida Jones to be one of the most perennially underrated actresses in Hollywood. Her impeccable timing has made her a comic heavyweight in sitcoms like The Office and Parks & Recreation. Now she’s taking a detour into sci-fi drama with her landing a lead role in Wool, Apple TV’s epic adaptation of Hugh Howey’s books. She’ll be joined by David Oyelowo, plus the already-cast Tim Robbins and Rebecca Ferguson in it. How’s that for a high pedigree cast?

According to Deadline, who broke the news, “Wool is set in a ruined and toxic future where a community exists in a giant underground silo, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them.”

Jones is set to play a major character married to Oyelowo, who plays the silo’s sheriff. As previously reported, Ferguson plays an engineer, while Robbins will play the head of IT, who Jones’ character works for. 

The show will be directed by The Imitation Game‘s Morten Tyldum and written by Graham Yost of Speed and Justified fame. Wool has had a long road to the small screen, with Ridley Scott at one point being attached to a feature film version. For Apple, it’s another big stab at original programming, joining the upcoming Isaac Asimov adaptation Foundation as their latest stab at a breakout sci-fi hit. So far it seems only the beloved Ted Lasso has really clicked with audiences. The cast is as high-end as it gets, with all four leads in heavy demand on screens, both big and small. Ferguson’s been incredibly busy lately, with her having recently wrapped Mission: Impossible 7, along with Dune (hopefully, she has a Dune sequel in her immediate future). Jones is coming off a one-season run on Netflix’s #BlackAF opposite Kenya Barris. 

There is no news yet on when Wool is set to premiere, but given the project’s scope, even more big names may join the cast soon.