Barry Keoghan to Lead and Produce ‘Top Boy’ Prequel Series ‘Jonny Boy’ at Netflix (Exclusive)
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Barry Keoghan is set to lead and executive produce "Jonny Boy", a five-episode Netflix prequel to the BAFTA-winning crime drama "Top Boy", reprising his role as Irish gang figure Jonny McGee. The series, produced by Cowboy Films and Keoghan's own company Wolfcub, extends the franchise following its acclaimed 2023 finale and underlines Netflix's continued investment in the "Top Boy" universe, which built a large following after Drake helped revive it in 2017.
Top Boy creator Ronan Bennett returns to write the prequel, Drake remains on board as an executive producer, and Ali Abbasi ("The Apprentice", "The Last of Us") will direct, with filming due to start in 2027. Jonny McGee was introduced in the fifth and final season of "Top Boy", which aired in 2023 and won the BAFTA for best drama in 2024; the original series ran on Channel 4 from 2011 before Netflix revived it with stars Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson. Netflix's UK content chief Anne Mensah announced the news at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
- Barry Keoghan to star in and produce "Top Boy" prequel "Jonny Boy"
- Netflix greenlights five-episode series; filming begins 2027
- Ronan Bennett writes, Drake produces, Ali Abbasi directs
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Barry Keoghan is best known as an Irish actor who has appeared in films such as "The Banshees of Inisherin" and "Saltburn". He is now taking on a bigger role behind the camera, leading and producing a new Netflix series built around a character he already played in "Top Boy".
"Top Boy" is a British crime drama about gangs and drug dealing in a fictional east London estate. It began on Channel 4 in 2011, was later revived by Netflix with backing from the rapper Drake, and became one of the streamer's most popular UK shows before ending with a final season in 2023 that won a BAFTA. Keoghan's character, Jonny McGee, an Irish gang figure, appeared in that last season.
The new project, called "Jonny Boy", is a prequel that will explore Jonny McGee's earlier story before the events of "Top Boy". It reunites several people from the original show, including creator Ronan Bennett as writer and Drake as an executive producer, with director Ali Abbasi brought in to lead the production. Its announcement matters because it shows Netflix extending a franchise that built a large and loyal audience, even after the flagship series had already reached its conclusion.
Full account
Netflix has commissioned Jonny Boy, a five-part prequel spun out of the acclaimed British crime drama Top Boy, with Barry Keoghan returning as the character he introduced in the show's final run and taking on an executive producer role for the first time within the franchise. The commission was revealed at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Wednesday, with Netflix's UK vice-president of content, Anne Mensah, understood to have disclosed the project during a festival session.
Keoghan will again play Jonny McGee, a senior figure in a London-based Irish crime family who acts as a soldier and drug distributor for his uncle, Tadgh McGee, a role originally played by Brian Gleeson. The new series will trace McGee's earlier years, and Keoghan will produce alongside his business partner Des Byrne through their company Wolfcub. Top Boy's original creator and writer, Ronan Bennett, is attached to write and executive produce via his banner Easter Partisan Films, while Ali Abbasi, known for The Apprentice and his work on The Last of Us, will direct. Filming is expected to begin in 2027. The wider producing team includes Charles Steel and Alasdair Flind of Cowboy Films, which also made the original Top Boy, along with Aubrey Graham — the musician known as Drake — and Adel 'Future' Nur of DreamCrew Entertainment, and Maverick Carter and Jamal Henderson of SpringHill Studios.
In a joint statement, Keoghan and Byrne said they were proud to bring Jonny McGee's story to the screen, describing the character's origin tale as a long-held passion project that Netflix and the show's other executive producers had been enthusiastic about supporting. Coverage of the announcement also highlighted Keoghan's broader standing in the industry, noting his Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA recognition for The Banshees of Inisherin, his roles in films including Saltburn and Dunkirk, and his upcoming turn as Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes' forthcoming series of Beatles biopics.
Jonny Boy arrives alongside a second, separate Top Boy expansion announced at the same time: a six-episode series centred on Jaq, the character played by Jasmine Jobson, written by Ryan Calais Cameron, with Jobson also serving as an executive producer. Both projects extend a franchise that began on Channel 4 in 2011, ran for two series before being cancelled, and was revived by Netflix from 2017 after Drake expressed interest, with Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson reprising their lead roles as Dushane and Sully across three further seasons set on the fictional Summerhouse estate in Hackney. The show's fifth and final season, which aired in 2023 and introduced Keoghan's character, went on to win the BAFTA for best drama in 2024.
Where outlets differ
The Hollywood Reporter focuses heavily on the Edinburgh TV Festival announcement details and includes an extended quote from Keoghan on his producing philosophy and inspirations (LuckyChap, Element Pictures), which the other outlets omit entirely.
Only Variety and Deadline report the companion series 'Jaq' starring Jasmine Jobson in the same announcement; The Hollywood Reporter's report covers only Jonny Boy and does not mention Jaq at all.
Variety gives the most detail on the Jaq series (six episodes, writer Ryan Calais Cameron, working title status), while Deadline covers it more briefly and THR not at all.
Sourcing is internally inconsistent on when Jonny McGee was introduced: the joint Keoghan/Byrne quote in two reports refers to 'Top Boy's third and final season,' while the surrounding reporting states he was introduced in the fifth and final season (2023) — this discrepancy appears in the source material itself.
Deadline refers to Keoghan's company as 'Wolfclub Productions' in one instance, apparently a typo, whereas the other two outlets consistently use 'Wolfcub.'
Variety includes extra career context not found elsewhere, such as Keoghan's recent role in a Peaky Blinders film for Netflix and his talent representation.
THR is the only outlet to specify that Anne Mensah personally announced the news during her Edinburgh TV Festival session.
More coverage
- Variety — ‘Top Boy’ Prequel ‘Jonny Boy’ Starring Barry Keoghan, Jaq Spinoff With Jasmine Jobson Ordered at Netflix
- Deadline — Barry Keoghan To Reprise ‘Top Boy’ Role For Netflix Series ‘Jonny Boy’