A trailer has been released for the Peacock limited series Long Bright River, starring Amanda Seyfried and based on a Liz Moore novel
Thirteen months ago, we learned that Amanda Seyfried – whose credits include The Dropout, Mank, You Should Have Left, Mamma Mia!, Big Love, Jennifer’s Body, Veronica Mars, the original Mean Girls, and much more – had signed on to star in the suspense thriller limited series Long Bright River for the Peacock streaming service. The series is based on Liz Moore’s bestselling novel of the same name, and a trailer has just dropped online, along with the information that all eight episodes of the show will be available to watch on Peacock as of March 13th. You can watch the trailer in the embed above.
Long Bright River is a suspense thriller series that tells the story of Mickey (Amanda Seyfried), a police officer who patrols a Philadelphia neighborhood hard-hit by the opioid crisis. When a series of murders begins in the neighborhood, Mickey realizes that her personal history might be related to the case.
Seyfried is joined in the cast by Nicholas Pinnock, Ashleigh Cummings, Callum Vinson, John Doman, Dash Mihok, Britne Oldford, Matthew Del Negro, Harriet Sansom Harris, Patch Darragh, and Perry Mattfeld.
Moore’s novel (pick up a copy HERE) has the following description: In a Philadelphia neighborhood rocked by the opioid crisis, two once-inseparable sisters find themselves at odds. One, Kacey, lives on the streets in the vise of addiction. The other, Mickey, walks those same blocks on her police beat. They don’t speak anymore, but Mickey never stops worrying about her sibling. Then Kacey disappears, suddenly, at the same time that a mysterious string of murders begins in Mickey’s district, and Mickey becomes dangerously obsessed with finding the culprit–and her sister–before it’s too late. Alternating its present-day mystery with the story of the sisters’ childhood and adolescence, Long Bright River is at once heart-pounding and heart-wrenching: a gripping suspense novel that is also a moving story of sisters, addiction, and the formidable ties that persist between place, family, and fate.
The series is coming our way from Sony Pictures Television and UCP. Seyfried is executive producing the show with Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, and Amanda Lewis of Original Film and Amy Pascal of Pascal Pictures. Moore is also an executive producer and is writing the series with Nikki Toscano, who has had writing credits on multiple TV shows, including Revenge, Bates Motel, 24: Legacy, Hunters, and The Offer. Also executive producing is Hagar Ben-Asher (Dead Women Walking), director of the first episode.
Toscano provided the following statement: “When my agents first brought me Long Bright River, I read the novel in one sitting. Liz Moore’s breathtakingly beautiful story about a patrol cop on the hunt for her missing younger sister in the midst of a series of murders in Kensington, Philadelphia was as compelling in its family drama as it was in its murder mystery. I immediately knew it was something I wanted to take a crack at translating to screen with Liz. The challenge of adapting this moving love story between two sisters as it elegantly weaves between the past and the present was thrilling, particularly as the history of this family’s past holds a critical key in solving the murder/mystery that unfolds in the present. Equally compelling was the sense of place Liz brought to her novel which I was excited about translating to screen, both as a writer and as a director.
But perhaps what drew me in the most was the possibility of what this show could achieve in its ambition to upend stereotypes: of those born into poverty and addiction, of those engaging in sex work, of those who have been written off or marginalized after they’ve seemingly fallen through the cracks of their community, and finally, of those engaged in police work. In fact, what makes Long Bright River so unique as a series is that it aims to deconstruct the “police as savior” narrative — a journey pulled through our protagonist, Mickey Fitzpatrick, played by Amanda Seyfried.
Strap yourself in – ‘cause this is Amanda like you’ve never seen her before – flawed and raw, tarred by guilt and shame and legacy, but never more compelling. She puts every ounce of her soul onto the screen and her performance will break your heart. In fact, all of our cast’s performances – Nicholas, Ashleigh, Callum, and John, among so many others – will grab a hold of you and never let go. And that passion and commitment is just as true of the performances that happened offscreen, from our line producer Jerry Kupfer to our writer/executive producer Russell Rothberg on set to our entirely female gang of directors that I was lucky to be a part of to our post team led by Matt Barber, and every member of our incredible and dedicated crew. We hope that Long Bright River will make the same indelible mark on you as it has made on us – and that it’s a story that stays with you long after the final frame has rolled. Thank you so much for watching.“
Moore added, “The question authors are frequently asked about their books is: ‘What inspired this?’ When it comes to Long Bright River, it’s difficult to answer concisely. I could say that the first seed of the novel was planted in 2009, when I first set foot in Kensington — a tight-knit, vibrant neighborhood in Philadelphia that has become very dear to me, and that is often misunderstood and misrepresented in the national media. I could say that the first seed was planted by my own family’s history of addiction, which has spanned many generations and has been a topic of conversation among us since well before I was born. I could say that being a sister inspired Long Bright River, or living in the city of Philadelphia. Really it’s a mix of all of these. Being part of the team bringing the novel to life as a series has been a moving experience. Just as I can’t point to one source of inspiration for the book, I can’t point to one source of inspiration for the series — not even the novel itself. Long Bright River, the series, has been a true group effort. Everyone involved — including co-creator and showrunner Nikki Toscano (who was also one of our directors on the series!); our talented actors, led by Amanda Seyfried; each department; the entire crew — has brought their own creative voice to the table to make this series feel brand new. The city of Philadelphia and the neighborhood of Kensington have also played an important part, lending advisors, artists, musicians, set dressers, actors — trained and untrained — to the production. We are indebted to them for sharing their voices and vision with us. Thank you for watching. We hope you enjoy it.“
What did you think of the Long Bright River trailer? Will you be watching this series on Peacock? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
