Showtime's Penny Dreadful continues to assemble its cast of sexy, sexy monsters

By Sean O'Neal | August 27, 2013 | 6:39pm

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Showtime’s “psychosexual horror series” Penny Dreadful—better known as the TV play on League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen that Alan Moore isn’t mad at—continues to build up its cast of characters from the thrillingly psycho-sexy, non-licensing-fee-accruing world of the public domain. The series, due in 2014 from James Bond producers John Logan and Sam Mendes recently hired 69-year-old former Bond player Timothy Dalton as its Sir Malcolm, described as “a tough African explorer on a deeply personal quest,” presumably for a nice cup of tea and a nap. Dalton joins the previously cast Josh Hartnett as Ethan—who’s “charming and brash, but there are demons behind his eyes”—and Eva Green as the show’s lone female protagonist Vanessa, who’s “enigmatic with haunted eyes and utterly composed.” Indeed, this show will boast lots of good-looking people with personal and eye problems.

And now one of the most recognizable roles—that of the immortal, immoral Dorian Gray (or as the official description has it, “supernaturally attractive… confident and mesmerizing, yet isolated”)—has gone to Reeve Carney, who has previous experience with defying death by starring in Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. Still yet to be cast are the roles of Dracula, Dr. Frankenstein, and Frankenstein’s monster, though it is assumed they will also be troubled yet hot.