Posted in: HBO, TV, YouTube | Tagged: Christoph Schrewe, dean winters, HBO, Kirk Acevedo, Lee Tergesen, oz, Tom Fontana, youtube, zo

Oz: Tom Fontana Pens Short Film Sequel to Popular HBO Prison Drama

Oz creator Tom Fontana wil roll out the sequel short film Zo on May 1st - spotlighting Dean Winters's and Lee Tergesen's characters.

As far as legacy sequels go, most probably didn't expect a follow-up to the 1990s/2000s iconic HBO prison drama Oz, but creator Tom Fontana, director Christoph Schrewe, and stars Dean Winters and Lee Tergeson will explore life after their characters' incarceration in the short film Zo. One of the original series stars, Kirk Acevedo, took to social media to announce the news with a tease that it might lead to a backdoor pilot to develop further.

How 'Zo' Will Follow 'Oz' Favorites Dean Winters' Ryan O'Reilly and Lee Tergesen's Tobias Beecher Since Prison

"I'm sure you guys all remember a show I did on [HBO] called OZ…Well my good friend Tom Fontana who created OZ and many other prolific TV shows made a short film about OZ after prison," Acevedo wrote. "It will premiere on YouTube starring Dean Winters and Lee Tergesen! It premieres May 1, 2024 on YouTube and if it gets a good buzz….You might see a series!🔥#SpreadTheword🗣️#KidViciousApproved🔪"

Acevedo, who played inmate Miguel Alvarez, appeared in 48 of the 56 episodes of the HBO series whose character survived his entire stay before the Oswald Correctional Facility (aka Oz) got shut down in the finale as, as well as Winters' and Tergeson's characters Ryan O'Reilly and Tobias Beecher as prisoners and staff were evacuated. Ryan was convicted for his role in multiple murders and sharing time with his brother Cyril (Scott Winters), who ended up sentenced to death and subsequently executed. Tobias was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and DUI and sentenced to the same prison. As the series "protagonist," Beecher changes throughout the series in some very drastic ways, doing things he never thought he would do while trying to survive being terrorized by Nazis led by skinhead Vern Schillinger (J.K. Simmons).

Oz ran from 1997-2003, becoming a revolutionary drama helping to set the standard for the premium cable network. The critical acclaim for the Fontana series helped inspire other gritty and violent dramas like The Sopranos. The series helped elevate many of its ensemble cast to superstardom, including Acevedo, Simmons, Winters, Harold Perrineau, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Christopher Meloni. Oz also starred Ernie Hudson, George Morforgen, Terry Kinney, Rita Moreno, Eamonn Walker, Luna Lauren Velez, Edie Falco (who would also star in The Sopranos), Craig "Mums" Grant, and BD Wong. Zo premieres on YouTube on May 1st.

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