‘Fantasy Island’ Reboot at Fox Casts Kiara Barnes, John Gabriel Rodriquez
The upcoming “Fantasy Island” reboot at Fox has added its first two cast members, Variety has learned.
Kiara Barnes and John Gabriel Rodriquez will both star in the series, which was ordered straight-to-series at Fox back in December.
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The new series is described as a modern semi-anthology series that delves into the “what if” questions, both big and small, that keep us awake at night. Each episode will tell stories about people who walk in with a desire, but end up reborn to themselves through the magical realism of Fantasy Island.
Barnes will play Ruby Okoro. Described as warm and wise, Ruby is a young woman with an old soul. She arrives on Fantasy Island with a terminal illness, but Roarke and the island give her a new lease on life.
Rodriquez will play Javier. Said to be rugged, handsome and charismatic, Javier is Fantasy Island’s head of transport – a pilot, mechanic and jack of all trades. While the island provides Javier refuge, as with everything else it offers, it may come at the price of a reckoning.
Barnes is known for her role on the long-running soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful.” She is also a singer and model, having worked with brands such as Maybelline, Nike, Sephora, DKNY, and Adidas.
She is repped by Aperture Talent Agency, Zero Gravity Management, and attorney Melanie Frank.
Rodriquez’s past TV credits include “Rosewood,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Drop Dead Diva,” “The Fosters,” and “If Loving You Is Wrong.” He is repped by Haven Entertainment.
The rebooted version “Fantasy Island” hails from writers and executive producers Liz Craft and Sarah Fain, with the series being a co-production between Sony Pictures Television, Gemstone Studios, and Fox Entertainment. It is slated to debut in summer 2021.
The original “Fantasy Island” ran on ABC for seven seasons and 152 episodes from 1978-1984, with two TV movies having been released in early 1977. The show starred Ricardo Montalbán as the island’s proprietor, Mr. Roarke, and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo.
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