Jeff Goldblum plays the King of the Gods, Zeus, in the new look at Netflix’s KAOS

Last Updated on July 2, 2024

Netflix has revealed a new look at the upcoming comedy KAOS. The new series is set to stream on the platform on August 29. From The End of the F*****g World creator, Charlie Covell, KAOS is an irreverent dramedy, inspired by Greek mythology (no degree in classics required!). A dysfunctional family (of gods) – cruel fathers, wayward sons, discontented wives and warring brothers –  the series takes a fresh look at power structures and the idea of the 1%. 

Jeff Goldblum plays Zeus: king of the Gods, ruler of the world. He’s cruel, stylish and all-powerful. That is, until he’s not. From BAFTA winning screenwriter and showrunner Charlie Covell (The End Of The F***ing World), KAOS is a bold, darkly comic, contemporary take on Greek mythology: exploring love, power, and life in the underworld. The Queen by his side will be Janet Mcteer as Hera, with Nabhaan Rizwaan as their wayward son, Dionysus. On Earth, Aurora Perrineau (Riddy) and Killian Scott (Orpheus) take on the roles of disillusioned wife and distracted rock-star husband respectively. 

Having long enjoyed his status as King of The Gods, Zeus’ reign has never been truly threatened.  That is until he wakes up one morning and discovers a wrinkle on his forehead. Believing it to be the harbinger of an ancient prophecy which foretells his destruction, neurosis sets in: Zeus becomes convinced his fall is coming. As his paranoia takes hold, the God of Gods – seeing signs everywhere – starts to dangerously self-destruct.  

And he’s right to be worried. Zeus’ one time friend and now prisoner, Prometheus, is orchestrating a plan to bring him down. The plan involves three disparate humans, all of whom are totally unaware of their cosmic significance or the part they must play in saving the world. No pressure. (Some pressure).

Zeus (Jeff Goldblum) is King of the gods: all-powerful yet desperately insecure. A megalomaniac in leisure wear, Zeus’s paranoia is ignited one day when he finds a new wrinkle on his forehead. He becomes convinced that it is evidence of an ancient prophecy coming to pass: that he and the family of gods are going to fall from power. As he attempts to shore up his regime, Zeus makes dangerous enemies all over the place, fails to listen to those who are actually trying to help him and takes actions which threaten the survival of humanity itself.

Hera (Janet McTeer) is queen of the gods, and married to Zeus (who also happens to be her brother). Life is pretty good for Hera when we meet her, but it becomes increasingly strained by her husband’s increasing paranoia and obsession with his prophecy. As Zeus becomes more deranged in his actions, Hera is placed in real jeopardy. For she has an explosive secret that could threaten her very existence if Zeus were to discover it. Perhaps the best thing for Hera would be to strike out on her own…

Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan) is Zeus’s favourite son. His mother was mortal, and Hera turned her into a bee (don’t ask) Zeus made Dionysus a full god — the keeper of Pleasure, Madness and Wild Frenzy. Up until this point all has been good but, recently, Dionysus has found himself a little… bored. He wants more: more power, and more respect from his family. He’s fed up of being treated like a child. A moment of casual cruelty from Zeus pushes Dionysus into actions which are aimed to annoy his father, but end up threatening to rupture the entire world.

Meanwhile, the humans continue to live a frustrated existence under the rule of the Gods. Riddy (Aurora Perrineau) has no idea of her cosmic significance. She barely feels significant in her own life. The wife of Orpheus, world-famous musician, her days are ones of easy luxury: from the outside, her existence is enviable. But Riddy is deeply unhappy, and knows she needs to make a change. And as fate would have it, a chance encounter one morning at a supermarket offers just that. Her husband, Orpheus (Killian Scott) is a rockstar with a big heart and an ego to match. When his life is ripped out from underneath him, Orpheus has a choice: to accept the cards he has been dealt, or attempt to defy death itself.