Black Bird Interview: Dennis Lehane talks about bringing the incredible true story to AppleTV+

Dennis Lehane is best known as the novelist behind the books Shutter Island, Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, and Live By Night. While a successful writer, Lehane has also worked on TV projects like The Wire, The Outsider, and Mr. Mercedes. His latest project is Black Bird, the AppleTV+ limited true crime series based on the memoir by James Keene. Black Bird tells the story of a man sentenced to ten years in prison who is offered the chance at freedom if he is able to elicit a confession from serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser). It is a dark and disturbing thriller that combines elements of police procedurals and more for a unique tale (read our review here).

I recently got the chance to chat with Lehane about how he got involved with Black Bird. We talked through the prison films, crime dramas, and other stories that inspired this adaptation as well as what elements he added to the already unbelievable true story of James Keene and Larry Hall. You can check out our full interview in the embed above.

Black Bird premieres on July 8th on Apple TV+.