In 2013 and 2014, a television series called Utopia aired on Channel 4. The show, created by Dennis Kelly, focused on a group of ordinary people who, out of a shared fascination with a cult graphic novel, were embroiled in a larger conspiracy with lifelong ramifications in the earth. It was a beautiful and brutal series, and so shocking that HBO had initially planned to create a new American version in 2014. For better or for worse, a new American version is finally here, courtesy of Amazon and Girl is gone author Gillian Flynn.
As part of the San Diego Comic-Con virtual panel, a teaser was released that gives viewers a first look at the show. The upcoming remake shares many of the same characters: Jessica Hyde, played by Fiona O’Shaughnessy in the original series, will be played by Sasha Lane in the new series, with Dan Byrd taking on the role of Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, down to the details of the wardrobe as a windbreaker for Arby, but it also adds some new faces to the mix. John Cusack’s character, Dr. Kevin Christie, is unique in the American remake, described by Flynn as a “billionaire-turned-celebrity.”
The series will tentatively premiere this fall, giving stakeholders enough time to watch the original series, which remains one of the best television shows ever made.
