Chrissy Metz has joined the cast of Apple TV+‘s upcoming crime drama based on Lars Kepler’s Joona Linna books, Variety has learned.
Metz is the latest addition to the series, joining previously announced cast members Liev Schreiber, Zazie Beetz, Stephen Graham, Bill Camp, and Rory Culkin. The show was officially picked up in May for 10 episodes. Production will begin this summer in Pittsburgh.
The official series description states:
“The project tells the story of Jonah Lynn (Schreiber), an ex-soldier turned homicide detective who, tired of working the tough streets of Philadelphia, moves to a small town in Western Pennsylvania for a quiet life. But, as the town and his family come under attack from the diabolically cunning serial killer Jurek Walter (Graham), Jonah must protect all that he holds dear. When the desperate search for Jurek’s last missing victim forces Jonah to send his adopted daughter FBI Agent Saga Bauer (Beetz) up against Jurek, how far will Jonah go?”
Metz will play Ida, who is described as “a single mother who struggled to make ends meet and faces a living nightmare after her children go missing.”
Metz is best known for her starring role in the hit NBC family drama “This Is Us.” She starred in the series throughout its six-season run, earning both an Emmy nomination and two Golden Globe nominations. Metz has also appeared in shows like “American Horror Story: Freak Show” and “The Last OG,” while she will next be seen in the Netflix series “The Hunting Wives.” Her film credits include “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” and “Breakthrough.”
She is repped by CAA, Luber Roklin Entertainment, Hansen Jacobson, and Creative PR.
Rowan Joffe and John Hlavin serve as writers, executive producers, and showrunners on the series. Schreiber and Beetz will executive produce, with Beetz doing so via Sleepy Poppy. Tim Van Patten will direct the first two episodes and executive produce. Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril will also executive produce along with Oystein Karlsen, David Rysdahl, Dorothy Fortenberry and Niclas Salomonsson. Julie Herrin serves as co-executive producer. The series is produced by A+E Studios in association with Range Studios.
Lars Kepler is the pen name of the husband and wife team of Coelho Ahndoril and Ahndori. The first novel in the Joona Linna series, “The Hypnotist,” was published in 2009. It was previously adapted into the 2012 Swedish film of the same name starring Tobias Zilliacus. To date, Kepler’s books have sold over 18 million copies worldwide.