Mark Ruffalo is rumored to be in consideration for the Parasite TV series headed to HBO. This news is very, very early, and HBO has no comment on the matter. But a report indicates that Ruffalo is being sought after to lead the series. This immediately raises several questions. Who is Ruffalo playing? And does this mean the series is re-casting the story with American actors? If so, that seems to go against previous reports that the show would actually be a continuation of the film.

Collider has the story on Mark Ruffalo starring in the Parasite TV series. They add that there’s no script in place yet, nor has any official casting begun on the show, but Ruffalo is being eyed as the lead. In other words, this is all a rumor for now. But let’s say it’s true! If so…what the hell does this mean for the Parasite show? When word of the series first broke, it was announced that director Bong Joon-ho was teaming with Adam McKay to bring the show to HBO. Speculation ran wild: Was this going to be an Americanized remake of the film?

According to Bong, the answer was “no.” The filmmaker stated that the series was going to be a continuation of the film – set in the same world, and expanding the story a bit. ““With Parasite, while I was writing the script I had so many more ideas I couldn’t convey into the two-hour running time of the film,” the director said. “I knew that if I had a longer running time, I would be able to tell these stories, and I that’s what I plan to talk about with Adam pretty soon…Though I’m not very familiar with the TV industry, I really consider this limited series an expanded film that can delve deeper into the stories that didn’t make it into Parasite. Adam McKay and HBO have created the amazing show Succession, so they’re very reliable and amazing partners to have.”

However, if Ruffalo is being eyed to lead, that means the show is definitely going to add an American component to the story. And what of the film’s original cast? Are they coming back in some capacity? Or are we going to be dealing with brand new characters? Bong’s statement sure makes it sound like the series is going to feature familiar faces, but this rumored casting news throws everything up in the air. Ruffalo is an excellent actor, but I can’t help but feel slightly put-off over the idea of bringing in American characters to this story. Then again, Bong’s involvement ensures that there’s actual thought going into all of this, and it’s not just a quick cash-grab.

Parasite is extremely hot right now, having scored several Academy Awards last night, including Best Picture and for Best Director. HBO is likely more eager than ever to get to work on their series now, but the question remains: Just what the heck is this show going to be? Hopefully we’ll know more soon.

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