Charlie Hunnam Cast as Lead in Apple TV+ Series 'Shantaram'

Apple has cast actor Charlie Hunnam in its upcoming series "Shantaram," which will air on Apple TV+ sometime after the service debuts this November (via Variety). The series is an adaptation of the Gregory David Roberts novel of the same name, the rights to which Apple acquired back in June 2018.

charlie hunnam

Image via Variety/Eric Charbonneau

The novel is based somewhat on Roberts' real life, focusing on a character named Lin (Hunnam), who is a convict that flees from an Australian prison and hopes to get lost in the city of Bombay. In the city, Lin stumbles across an underworld of criminals while individuals from his life in prison hunt him down.

Apple won the rights to the book amid a competitive bidding war that was said to include multiple streaming companies. Previously, plans to adapt "Shantaram" included Joel Edgerton in the role as Lin for a feature film, but plans fell through, leading to the idea of a streaming TV series.

"American Hustle" screenwriter Eric Warren Singer will serve as the showrunner and executive producer of the new Apple series. Singer also worked on "The International", "Only the Brave", and wrote the script for the upcoming sequel "Top Gun: Maverick." Hunnam is known for his roles in "Sons of Anarchy," "Pacific Rim," and "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword."

It's not clear yet when "Shantaram" will premiere on ‌Apple TV‌+, but since casting has just gotten underway and filming has not yet begun, it's likely that we won't see the show debut until mid-to-late 2020 at the earliest.

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

iPhone Driver's License Feature Launching in Illinois

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:47 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting this Wednesday, November 19, the feature will be available to residents of Illinois. The announcement confirmed that the...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 Wi-Fi Speeds: New Study Reveals the Winner

Tuesday November 18, 2025 10:53 am PST by
A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip. The study was conducted by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app. It said the results are based on global, crowdsourced Speedtest user data...
macbook black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Tuesday November 18, 2025 7:32 am PST by
We're getting closer to Black Friday, which lands next week on Friday, November 28. In the lead-up to the shopping holiday, we're tracking a few lowest-ever prices on Apple's most popular Macs, including the M4 MacBook Air and brand new M5 MacBook Pro. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
Magic Keyboard Touch ID Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for 140W USB-C Power Adapter, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad

Tuesday November 18, 2025 1:05 pm PST by
Apple today released updated firmware for several accessories, including the 140W USB-C Power Adapter, the Magic Trackpad 2, the Magic Trackpad USB-C, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad. There is no word on what's included in the updated firmware at this time, but it could offer performance improvements and security updates. Accessory...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...

Top Rated Comments

Baymowe335 Avatar
81 months ago
As Apple TV+ adds more content, that $4.99 is looking stronger and stronger.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gleepskip Avatar
81 months ago
A show that hasn't even begun production yet is being announced that will air in 2021/2022. Disney has many titles that fit that category, but they have decades of work that can be used to entertain for a family's $6.99 while they await the latest Marvel or Star Wars spinoff show.

To me, this announcement further reinforces the lack of content at launch.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ryanwarsaw Avatar
81 months ago
Sounds interesting. I only know of this book from when I was running a backpacker hostel on an island in SE. Asia. Every dreadlock hippy coming through had this really huge book with a weird name.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
81 months ago
Netflix just got the rights for Seinfeld from 2021. Is Apple going after any legacy content?

https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/16/20868736/seinfeld-is-heading-to-netflix-in-2021
No, AppleTV+ shows are all new productions curated and funded by Apple.

Legacy content will be available through third parties in Channels in the AppleTV app. If you think about it, it’s a smart move. Apple doesn’t have to license content. Instead, they give license owners access to AppleTV viewers in the same app. The license owners makes their money in subscriptions and Apple gets a cut and an AppleTV app full of content both from their own studio and from legacy shows.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
81 months ago
As Apple TV+ adds more content, that $4.99 is looking stronger and stronger.
Agree. Also...my sense is many believe Apple is not engaged in many projects, or is working on them serially. I suspect there are many going on, most of which have not been publicized.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deeddawg Avatar
81 months ago
Interesting. I read the book on the recommendation of an Indian colleague and enjoyed it. It'd be neat to see it on-screen.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)