Netflix has debuted Bet, a live-action series based on the manga/anime titled Kakegurui. The show follows elite students at St. Dominic’s, a private school where a student’s social hierarchy is dictated by underground gambling. Starring in the series is Miku Martineau as Yumeko, a student who enjoys gambling just a bit much. Hunter Cardinal portrays Michael, a student who surveys the underground gambling from the outside.

“This show is a wild one,” Cardinal tells Nerd Reactor. “It’s set at a prestigious boarding school for the children of the global elite. And its social hierarchy and how the school kind of functions and its purpose is all built around these wild games of gambling. These sort of opportunities to show who gets eaten and who eats at this school.”

“So it’s pretty intense,” he added. “And my character, Michael, is the school outsider. So he’s the one guy who refuses to participate in this. So he’s the moral compass of trying to just not be involved at all costs.”

Larissa Mair is the casting director for the show, whose credits include Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. She looked for actors who closely matches the characters’ personalities in Bet. Simon Barry serves as the director and developer of the series.

“I want to give props to Larissa Mair, our casting director, and Simon,” Cardinal said. “They had this incredible knack to cast our great group of actors from the inside out. So they were looking for people that really resonated, that understood the world of their character on the inside, and then trusting because they were aligned with that. They’ll know what story needs to be told, that they’ll fit perfectly into place.

“So the thing about that is that everyone in the show was a reflection of their character. And like, everyone also had moments where they’re just like, ‘Oh, you know, I don’t know why I was cast, like, I’m not that,’ and then they would proceed to act in ways that were 100% aligned with their character.

“I’m excited for fans to be seeing the show. Once they learn about our different star charts and our astrology, their minds are gonna be blown because that was the most honest reflection of who the characters were. You know, Michael, for those folks who are interested in that character, I’m like a Scorpio stellium, and it makes so much sense. And then you go into the other actors, like Miku Martineau and Clara and, you know, Aviva, and it just chef’s kiss. It’s beautiful.”

About Netflix’s Bet

Synopsis: Bet follows the students at a boarding school for the global elite, where underground gambling determines the school’s hierarchy. When Yumeko, a mysterious transfer student arrives, her gambling prowess puts her in the crosshairs of the powerful Student Council, while her secret quest for revenge threatens to upend the school’s status quo entirely.

The series is directed and developed for television by Simon Barry. Executive Producers are Simon Barry, Jeff F. King, David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, Jon Rutherford, and Nick Nantell.

Bet stars Miku Martineau, Ayo Solanke, Eve Edwards, Clara Alexandrova, Hunter Cardinal, Anwen O’Driscoll, Aviva Mongillo, Laura Afelskie, Dorian Giordano, Emma Elle Paterson, Ryan Sutherland, and Peter Outerbridge.

The series contains ten 30-minute episodes and is now available to stream at http://www.netflix.com/Bet.