Benicio del Toro stages a prison break in Escape at Dannemora trailer

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

In 2015, Richard Matt and David Sweat escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in New York and were on the run for several weeks, and it was later revealed that they had been aided by female prison employee Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell who had carried on an affair with both men. Showtime has transformed the riviting true-story into a limited-series which stars Benicio del Toro (SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO) as Richard Matt, Paul Dano (THERE WILL BE BLOOD) as David Sweat, and Patricia Arquette (BOYHOOD) as Tilly Mitchell. Escape at Dannemora also stars Bonnie Hunt (THE GREEN MILE), Eric Lange (Narcos), David Morse (WORLD WAR Z), and Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos). The trailer for the upcoming series, which has been directed by Ben Stiller (ZOOLANDER), certainly looks quite captivating, which is unfortunate as it means that I'll have yet another series to add to my ever-increasing pile of shows I need to watch.

The synopsis for Escape at Dannemora:

Escape at Dannemora is based on the stranger-than-fiction prison break in upstate New York in the summer of 2015 which spawned a statewide manhunt for two convicted murderers, aided in their escape by a married female prison employee who carried on months-long affairs with both men.

Del Toro plays convicted murderer Richard Matt, an artistic yet intimidating force within the prison, who masterminds the escape. Arquette plays Tilly Mitchell, a working class wife and mother who supervises the prison tailor shop and becomes sexually involved with both men, ultimately agreeing to hide hacksaw blades in frozen hamburger meat to help them get out. Dano plays David Sweat, a convicted cop-killer who may have genuine feelings for Tilly and becomes a reluctant partner in Richard Matt’s plot. The cast also features Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Bonnie Hunt, acclaimed actor Eric Lange and Emmy nominee David Morse.

Escape at Dannemora will premiere on November 18, 2018 on Showtime.