Gillian Flynn brings Utopia to life in first teaser for the Amazon series

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

During their virtual panel at San Diego ComicCon@Home, Amazon released the first trailer for Utopia, a remake of the U.K. black comedy conspiracy-thriller series of the same name. The project has been in the works for quite some time, and was originally slated to be directed by David Fincher and written by Gillian Flynn for HBO, and although the project fell apart and would later wind up at Amazon, Flynn is still onboard as executive producer and showrunner.

Utopia revolves around "a group of young adults who meet online and are mercilessly hunted by a shadowy deep state organization. After they come into possession of a near-mythical cult underground graphic novel, they discover the conspiracy theories in the comic’s pages may actually be real and are forced into the dangerous, unique, and ironic position of saving the world." The series stars Sasha Lane as Jessica Hyde, as well as John Cusack as Dr. Kevin Christie, Rainn Wilson as Dr. Michael Stearns, Farrah Mackenzie as Alice, Christopher Denham as Arby, and Cory Michael Smith as Thomas Christie. "How do I make this new?" Gillian Flynn asked herself while speaking with Entertainment Weekly. "I’m a huge fan of all those conspiracy thrillers that came out after Watergate. All of [the British Utopia] plays very sleekly. I wanted mine to play bumpy, dirty, raw, real—like you’re walking on the gum on the sidewalk and smelling the garbage in the alley."

The official synopsis for Utopia:

Utopia centers on a group of comic fans who meet online and bond over their obsession of a seemingly fictional comic called, “Utopia.” Together, Ian (Dan Byrd), Becky (Ashleigh LaThrop), Samantha (Jessica Rothe), Wilson Wilson (Desmin Borges) and Grant (Javon “Wanna” Walton) unearth hidden meanings cloaked within the pages of “Utopia,” predicting threats to humanity. They realize these are not just the makings of a conspiracy; they are very real dangers coming alive right now in their world. The high-stakes adventure brings the group face-to-face with the comic’s famed central character, Jessica Hyde (Sasha Lane), who joins them on their mission to save the world while harboring secrets of her own.

Utopia doesn't have an official release date, but it's expected to debut on Amazon Prime Video later this year.