Netflix has another limited series on tap for later this year, and it’s sure to be one of the most talked-about shows of the year.
The streaming service on Monday dropped the first look photos and premiere date for Painkiller.
The highly-anticipated drama touches down on Thursday, August 10.
Netflix stresses that the series is “a fictionalized retelling of events.”
Painkiller “explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin.”
“An examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans, Painkiller is based on the book Pain Killer by Barry Meier and the New Yorker Magazine article ‘The Family That Built the Empire of Pain’ by Patrick Radden Keefe.”
The series is executive produced by Eric Newman, Pete Berg, Alex Gibney, and showrunners/creators Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster.
Starring Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, and West Duchovny.
“My goal was to capture the DNA that lives deep in the soul of the opioid crisis — a very dense and complex tragedy fueled by greed, corruption, human fragility and more greed,” Berg, who directs all six hour-long episodes of the series, explained in a statement to Tudum.
“For Purdue, the business was pain and business was booming…”
Netflix has many shows on its release calendar for later in the year, and it seems the streaming service is switching things up by revealing release dates earlier.
Far too often, shows slip under the radar with premiere date announcements coming close to the premiere.
Painkiller tackles an important topic that is sure to resonate with viewers.
What are your thoughts on the first photos and the premiere date?
Will you watch the show?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
