Donald Glover on 'Atlanta': "I Just Wanted to Make a 'Twin Peaks' With Rappers"

He wants to film at Murder Kroger.

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Complex Original

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The pilot episode for Donald Glover's Atlanta, one of this year's most anticipated TV shows, just screened at the the 2016 Television Critics Association Convention, and it's lit. Glover wrote and stars in the comedy as Earnest "Earn" Marks, a young rapper who's just starting out in Atlanta's music scene. Brian Tyree Henry plays Marks' cousin, Alfred Miles, who's already a glowing success in the industry. Marks offers his managerial skills to Henry, and (we can assume) antics ensue. 

Please watch #Atlanta on @FXNetworks when it comes out this summer. It's really great. #TCA16

— emily (@emilygagne) January 16, 2016

"I just always wanted to make Twin Peaks with rappers," says @donaldglover of #Atlanta. #TCA16 #FX

— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) January 16, 2016

After the screening Glover, Henry, and their co-stars Keith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. talked about what they were hoping to achieve with the show. Glover's comments suggest Atlanta will be less of a lighthearted comedy than any of his previous projects;  he compared it both to Twin Peaks and to a novel.

"TV shows are like novels now. It’s gonna take time for people to understand what’s going on.” — @donaldglover on tone of #Atlanta #TCA16

— Decider (@decider) January 16, 2016

Glover: there's a place called the Murder Kroger where lots of murders happen. We want to shoot there before they tear it down. #AtlantaFX

— Diane Gordon (@thesurfreport) January 16, 2016

The way the cast talks about it, the city of Atlanta (where they actually filmed) had a heavy influence on the show. Also, you know, Murder Kroger.

Donald Glover: In Atlanta, everyone's trying to make something from nothing. Everybody's got a mix tape or something. #TCA16

— Diane Gordon (@thesurfreport) January 16, 2016

Brian Tyree Henry: Any story you want is in Atlanta. All different kinds of lives are there. #TCA16

— Diane Gordon (@thesurfreport) January 16, 2016

#Atlanta has been ordered to series. Will premiere this summer on FX. #TCA16

— Diane Gordon (@thesurfreport) January 16, 2016

And, most importantly, Atlanta finally has a premiere date (sort of). 

We're counting down the months.

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