Fox’s Fantasy Island reboot has cast Roselyn Sanchez. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series has added the Grand Hotel and Devious Maids alum to play Elena Roarke, a descendant of the original Fantasy Island‘s Mr. Roarke played by Ricardo Montalban. This news comes after a recent casting update that The Bold and the Beautiful star Kiara Barnes and If Loving You Is Wrong‘s John Gabriel Rodriquez had also been cast in the upcoming series. Barnes will be a series regular while Rodriguez will be in what is described as a “heavily recurring” role.
Sanchez’s Elena Roarke is described as “a woman who set aside her own ambitions and the love of her life to uphold her family’s legacy. Sophisticated, insightful and always charming, Elena’s calm exterior masks the challenges of the responsibilities she has assumed as steward of this mysterious island.”
Fantasy Island is the first production from Gemstone Studios who will co-produce with Fox Entertainment. The series will debut Tuesday, August 10 at 9 p.m. ET.
“In continuing to develop outside of the traditional broadcast cycle, we’ve been particularly focused on providing viewers with summer series that offers a true escape from everyday life – to be sure, now so more than ever,” said Fox Entertainment President Michael Thorn. “Fantasy Island is a beloved program, and the world Liz and Sarah have created for this contemporary adaptation is signature Fox and a perfect show for today’s times. After all, who among us wouldn’t take a (safe) trip to Fantasy Island right now?”
“Fantasy Island has always been one of our most popular and iconic series and when we heard Liz and Sarah’s vision of this world, we immediately knew they were onto something special,” said Jeff Frost, President, Sony Pictures Television, and Jason Clodfelter, Co-President, Sony Pictures Television. “We can’t think of better partners than Fox to work on this entirely novel take on this classic property — this is truly a wonderful and exciting way to launch our new venture, Gemstone Studios.”
The original Fantasy Island launched in 1977 and ran until 1984, and featured Ricardo Montalban as Mr. Roarke and Herve Villechaize as his assistant Tattoo. Since the original concluded Sony has spotlighted the IP several times, including the 1998 revival and a recent interpretation from Blumhouse that featured Michael Pena in the Roarke role and starred Lucy Hale, Maggie Q, Jimmy O. Yang, Ryan Hansen, and more.
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