According to Deadline, Kaya Scodelario is joining Senna, a Netflix limited series based on the life of Brazilian Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna.
Scodelario first broke out as a teenager playing Effy Stonem in the British drama Skins. In 2014, Scodelario starred as the female lead in The Maze Runner, a role reprised in the franchise’s two sequels. Scodelario appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Crawl, and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. The 31-year-old recently wrapped her work in The Gentlemen, the Netflix spinoff series based on Guy Ritchie’s film of the same name.
“Being half-Brazilian it has always been a dream of mine to work on a Brazilian Production,” Scodelario said in a statement. “It is an honor to be involved in a project that tells the story of Ayrton, a true national hero who means so much to the people of Brazil and around the world. It’s a huge responsibility and I am so excited to go on this journey.”
What to Expect in Senna?
Brazilian filmmaker Vicente Amorim will serve as the showrunner on the six-part series. Gabriel Leone (Ferrari) will star as Senna, while Scodelario will play a fictional character in the series.
Senna rose to prominence in Formula 1 in the late 80s and early 90s. Senna won three Formula One World Drivers’ Championships in 1988, 1990, and 1991. However, Senna’s life came to a devasting end after a tragic accident at age 34.
“The miniseries will explore Ayrton Senna da Silva’s personality and family relationships,” the official synopsis reads. “The starting point will be Ayrton’s career debut, when he moved to England, and will culminate in the tragic accident in Imola, Italy, during the San Marino Grand Prix, when he died.”
Brazilian production company Gullane will produce Senna, while Vicente Amorim and Julia Rezende will direct. Senna’s family is participating in the series, which will film in Brazil and Argentina.
