‘I May Destroy You’ Alum Sam Miller to Direct Apple’s ‘Surface;’ Ari Graynor and 5 Others Join Cast
BAFTA award-winning director and Emmy nominee Sam Miller (“I May Destroy You,” “Luther”) has been tapped to direct Apple TV Plus’ upcoming psychological thriller “Surface” starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Loki”) and created by Veronica West (“High Fidelity”). In addition, Apple unveiled that Ari Graynor, Stephan James, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, François Arnaud, Marianne Jean Baptiste and Millie Brady will star opposite Mbatha-Raw.
“Surface” is an elevated thriller about a woman’s quest to rebuild her life after a suicide attempt and her struggle to remember — and understand — everything that led up to the moment when she jumped. Mbatha-Raw plays Sophie, the protagonist.
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The eight-episode series hails from Apple Studios and Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine. In addition to directing, Miller will executive produce the first season of the series, alongside West, Mbatha-Raw, Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter on behalf of Hello Sunshine. Ashley Strumwasser and Jon Wu will also produce via Witherspoon’s banner.
Jackson-Cohen (“The Lost Daughter,” “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” “The Invisible Man”) will portray James, Sophie’s husband and a well-connected and successful partner at a venture capital firm; James (“Homecoming,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”) will star as Baden, an undercover cop with a strong connection to Sophie; Graynor (“Mrs. America,” “I’m Dying Up Here”) will appear as Caroline, an heiress and old friend of Sophie and James; Arnaud (“UnReal,” “The Borgias”) will play Harrison, a colleague and friend of James; Baptiste (“Secrets & Lies,” “Homecoming”) stars as Hannah, Sophie’s therapist; Brady (“The Queen’s Gambit, “Roadkill”) appears as Eliza, a mysterious woman that connects to Sophie’s past.
Miller is repped by UTA, Ragna Nervik, Independent Talent; Jackson-Cohen is repped by Hamilton Hodell, Management 360, Viewpoint and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller & Gellman; James is repped by Norbert Abrams of Noble Caplan Abrams, Range MP, CAA, Viewpoint and Jeff Bernstein of Jackoway Tyerman; Graynor is repped by UTA, Management 360, Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, Feldman & Clark and The Spotlight Company; Arnaud is repped by APA, Lasher Group and Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver & Thompson, LLP; Baptiste is repped by APA and Untitled Entertainment; Brady is repped by Oliver Azis at Independent Talent Group, Jessica Kovacevic at WME and Karl Austen.
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