After years of battling White Walkers, kings, and dragons as Jaime Lannister, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is heading into a very different kind of mystery. The Game of Thrones star has officially signed on to headline The Black Tapes, MGM+’s upcoming horror investigation series based on the hit podcast of the same name. For fans of supernatural thrillers, conspiracies, and unsettling mysteries, it sounds like his next role will be just as complicated as the Kingslayer.
Quick read:
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau will lead The Black Tapes.
- MGM+ has ordered eight episodes.
- The series is based on a hit horror podcast.
Coster-Waldau will play a psychiatrist investigating the paranormal
According to Variety, MGM+ has officially greenlit an eight-episode adaptation of The Black Tapes, based on the popular podcast created by Terry Miles and Paul Bae. The podcast debuted in 2015 and has accumulated more than 60 million downloads.
Coster-Waldau will play Dr. Richard Strand, a psychiatrist with a mysterious past who joins forces with scientist Alex Regan to investigate unexplained paranormal events.
The official synopsis states that Strand and Regan attempt to debunk hauntings, possessions, disappearances, and other strange phenomena connected to the infamous “black tapes.” Their investigation eventually uncovers a hidden occult world and a centuries-old apocalyptic conspiracy.
Production is scheduled to begin in Vancouver in January.
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The creative team includes the podcast’s original creators
One reason fans of the source material may be excited is that the original creators remain heavily involved.
Variety reports that Terry Miles and Paul Bae will serve as writers and executive producers on the adaptation. Executive producers also include Kearie Peak, John Rogers, and Jennifer Court, with MGM+ Studios producing the series.
In a statement, MGM+ global head Michael Wright called the project:
“a compelling story around our cultural fascination with the unexplained” and praised Coster-Waldau’s involvement.
Executive producer John Rogers also revealed that he was a longtime fan of the podcast, describing it as:
“a unique blend of truly unsettling horror and puzzle-box conspiracy mystery.”
The series will stream on MGM+ in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Latin America.
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