Jude Law stars as the owner of a Big Apple hotspot whose sketchy brother (Jason Bateman) returns, bringing trouble with him
Brotherhood is a concept that is, at its heart, rooted in a common bond. Whether blood brothers, fraternity brothers, religious brothers (such as monks) or natural brothers through family connection or DNA, “a brother’s love,” as stated by Delroy Lindo’s character in the 2000 film Gone in 60 Seconds, “is a brother’s love.”
When it all comes down to brass tacks, a brother’s bond is a precious one that can provide comfort and security in the toughest times. Unfortunately, it can cause the utmost trouble when weaponized.
Black Rabbit, Netflix’s new limited series, stars two familiar faces — Jude Law (The Young Pope) and Jason Bateman (Ozark) — as New York City brothers who struggle to keep their heads above water while navigating their complicated and potentially dangerous relationship.
The series, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, follows “Jake [Law], the owner of the Black Rabbit restaurant and bar,” who “floats from back-of-house to front-of-house with confidence, knowing everyone’s name and drink order. His short-term goals are a glowing review and Michelin star, though his larger plan is expansion,” the TIFF description reads.
“His poise and intentions are tested when his ne’er-do-well brother Vince [Bateman] returns home. With Vince comes debt, trauma and drama that are set to impact his brother’s plans for the Black Rabbit,” the description continues.
Both Law and Bateman are highly involved in the series, with each actor executive producing alongside series co-creators Zach Baylin and Kate Susman, who are jointly known for co-producing the 2024 true crime action flick The Order (in which Law starred). Bateman also directs the first two of the series’ eight episodes.
And while both Law and Bateman were tied to the project early on, Bateman told Netflix’s Tudum that they did not initially have official roles assigned to them.
“When Jude and I were first talking about our roles, there wasn’t a decision yet about who was going to play which part,” Bateman said. “We both agreed that I usually play the character that he’s playing: the one who doesn’t make bad decisions all the time. Wouldn’t it be interesting if I didn’t play that character this time?”
“On the page, Vince is volatile, unpredictable, he has this reputation for blowing things up literally and emotionally,” Law added. “And what’s extraordinary is, of course, Jason brings to it this innocence, this beautiful likability. The fact is, you understand why this guy gets away with it.”
“It’s really about these brothers who love each other but don’t match — one’s a screw-up, and the other is much more buttoned up,” Bateman elaborated to Tudum about his and Law’s character dynamic. “Everybody’s either got a sibling or a friendship where you love being with one another, but it’s kind of dangerous; where that person usually gets you in trouble but they’re really exciting to be around.”
As for how the creators first engaged with the project, Tudum reports that the pair initially began by imagining the ideal setting, Black Rabbit itself, before stepping out to test their lead characters’ bond.
“We just started talking about setting a TV show in a restaurant — a scene we’ve always been captivated and intoxicated by — and what would that mean as a backdrop,” Susman told Tudum. “Then we got to talking about characters and brothers. We both have siblings and were interested in exploring the idea that you’re one person with your sibling and someone else in the world; and that no matter what you do or where you go in life, your childhood dynamic can be really hard to escape.”
Black Rabbit also stars Sopé Dirisu (Gangs of London) as musician and businessman Wes; Cleopatra Coleman (Infinity Pool) as interior designer Estelle; Dagmara Dominczyk (Succession) as Val, Jake’s philanthropist ex-wife; Odessa Young (The Staircase) as Gen, a New York tattoo artist and friend of the brothers; and Chris Coy (Lawmen: Bass Reeves) and Coda Oscar winner Troy Kotsur as bookies known to the brothers.
Black Rabbit begins streaming Thursday, September 18, on Netflix