“You want me to check into hell and befriend the demon? Not for all the money in the world.” That’s how Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) reacts when he’s presented with an offer in the trailer for the highly anticipated suspenseful limited drama series Black Bird.
Coming to Apple TV+ on Friday, July 8 (with the first two episodes, before weekly releases through August 5), the series has been adapted from the true crime memoir In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene and Hillel Levin. When Jimmy is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum security prison, his father, Big Jim Keene, played by Ray Liotta in one of his last roles, tells him, “I never wanted this for you. I wanted a totally different life: a steady paycheck, kids, a family.” Jimmy’s hoping for a way out of it, but the only option is “not a quick one,” since he has no possibility of parole.
What Jimmy can do is transfer to a maximum security prison specializing in the criminally insane and get a confession from Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser), suspected of killing 14 women (only one body has been found). In exchange, he’ll be granted his freedom. But it won’t be easy: He has to do this before Hall’s appeal goes through, he can’t approach him too early or it’ll be suspicious, and he has to be worried that it’ll get out he’s there to snitch. If Hall walks, chances are he’ll kill again and again. Watch the trailer below for more.
“Is this suspected killer telling the truth? Or is it just another tale from a serial liar? This dramatic and captivating story subverts the crime genre by enlisting the help of the very people put behind bars to solve its mysteries,” Apple TV+ teases.
Black Bird also stars Greg Kinnear as Brian Miller and Sepideh Moafi as Lauren McCauley. The six-episode psychological thriller, inspired by true events, was developed, written, and executive produced by acclaimed, bestselling author Dennis Lehane. The first three episodes are directed by Michaël R. Roskam. Lehane, Egerton, and Roskam executive produce with Richard Plepler through his EDEN Productions, Bradley Thomas, Dan Friedkin, and Ryan Friedkin through Imperative Entertainment, Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert through EMJAG Productions, Kary Antholis, and Keene. Jim McKay and Joe Chappelle also direct.
Black Bird, Series Premiere, Friday, July 8, Apple TV+