DeWanda Wise and Jessica Williams to visit Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone

Jordan Peele continues to fill out the cast for his revival of The Twilight Zone, which is set to premiere later this year on CBS All Access.

Per a report from Deadline, DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It) and Jessica Williams (2 Dope Queens) are the latest guest stars added to Jordan Peele’s revival of The Twilight Zone. The show, which is deep into filming, is set to premiere at some point later this year on CBS All Access. Wise and Williams join the ranks of some impressive names already set to guest on The Twilight Zone, which includes Sanaa Lathan, Kumail Nanjiani, Adam Scott, Steven Yeun, and Greg Kinnear.

DeWanda Wise and Jessica Williams

DeWanda Wise is currently starring in Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It. The show, which premiered in 2017, is also set to return at some point this year. It’s based on Spike Lee’s landmark film of the same name from the mid 1980s. Lee directed all 10 of the 30 minute episodes from season one of the series.

Wise plays the main protagonist, Nola Darling. Like in Lee’s directorial debut, Nola is defined by her sexual freedom. She’s an artist who has three open relationships with men who have a difficult time dealing with the situation.

Last September at The Toronto International Film Festival, The Weekend premiered. Wise co-stars with Sasheer Zamata (SNL). A stand-up comic (Zamata), her ex-boyfriend, and his new girlfriend (Wise) end up spending the weekend at a bed and breakfast. The stay is life changing for all involved.

The Twilight Zone-She’s Gotta Have It-Courtesy of Netflix

Jessica Williams burst on to the scene a few years ago as a smart and funny correspondent on The Daily Show. She was a stand-out commentator who had the Internet rallying for her to take over for John Stewart when he left the show.

Williams, along with comedian, actor, and author Phoebe Robinson (I Love Dick), started a podcast for WNYC in 2016 called 2 Dope Queens. The episodes would usually feature a stand-up performance by a guest comedian, followed or preceded by an interview with them. The podcast ended last Fall.

While the podcast has ended, 2 Dope Queens lives on as a series of hour long comedy specials on HBO. The second season of four episodes premieres on February 8. Each episode will carry a theme, such as “Regal AF.” Celebrity guest interviews will include Daniel Radcliffe and Lupita Nyong’o.

The Pit of Fear and Summit of Knowledge

I’ve been interested in The Twilight Zone revival since it was announced. Jordan Peele understands episodic television and character driven stories. We know he can direct and he won an Oscar for writing Get Out. While he’s mainly in the role of producer and host on The Twilight Zone, fans should still be encouraged by his involvement.

The Twilight Zone-2 Dope Queens-Courtesy of HBO

So far, he’s assembled quite the guest list for the show. Casting is an important part of the process. I’m excited by the list of guest stars. I usually don’t write this much about the background of casting news, but Wise and Williams made me happy.

For me, Peele’s involvement makes me hope that The Twilight Zone is a true revival. It can take the baton of the Rod Serling original and carry it into the future with fresh new stories that reflect our times. This should not be a reboot. I’m not even sure how anyone could completely reboot something as pure as The Twilight Zone.

I know some classic episodes are rumored to be redone for this version of The Twilight Zone. That’s marginally ok as long as that builds, quickly, into something new and original. The whole point of The Twilight Zone was to continually examine and reflect humanity in the dimension we called imagination.

This will likely be the point where I subscribe to CBS All Access. I’m sure other people will do the same when the show premieres. That would be favorable for the longevity of a hopefully, good show. That would also help CBS All Access because right now it doesn’t have a whole lot else that interests me.

Are you interested in the Twilight Zone revival? Will you consider getting CBS All Access for it? Let’s discuss in the comments!