Netflix’s Maniac: Justin Theroux Joins Emma Stone and Jonah Hill
The award circuit adulation over Emma Stone and her role in the hit modern musical La La Land propelled her stardom at stratospheric levels, capped off with a Best Lead Actress Oscar win. Thus, it’s a testament to the power of streaming outlet Netflix that – against the backdrop of that – it has procured her interest for the dark comedy series Maniac, which, directed by Cary Fukunaga, will reunite her with Jonah Hill.
Maniac Netflix Latest News
Justin Theroux joins the cast of Maniac, reports THR. Theroux will recur as a James Mantleray. While no details about the character were confirmed, rumors imply that he’ll be portrayed as an alcoholic mad scientist.
Theroux has just finished a 3-season starring role as Kevin Garvey on the HBO disappearing people mystery series The Leftovers. His previous small screen runs include Parks and Recreation, Alias, Six Feet Under, miniseries John Adams and CBS dramedy series The District. He was seen in films such as The Girl on the Train, Miami Vice, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Mulholland Drive, Zoolander (and its 2016 sequel,) and American Psycho, with voice roles in Megamind and the upcoming The LEGO Ninjago Movie.
Maniac Netflix Details
Emma Stone and Jonah Hill’s headlining comedy series titled Maniac was reported by Deadline to start production in New York City on August 15, which, indeed, has reportedly ocurred. Of course, in a narrative that can’t be overlooked, the series will also deliver an intriguing onscreen reunion, since comedy fans remember the duo of Stone and Hill from their awkward, headbutt-prone courtship in the crass 2007 comedy Superbad.
The 10-episode Netflix series will be written by Patrick Somerville (The Bridge, The Leftovers), adapting a 2014 Norwegian series of the same name. Moreover, Maniac will also enjoy the directorial talent of Cary Fukunaga, who made quite the cultural impact in 2014 directing and showrunning the Emmy-winning inaugural season of HBO’s True Detective. Fukunaga and Netflix are hardly strangers, since he wrote and directed their 2015 original film Beasts of No Nations, a controversial, bellwether offering for the industry that evoked the ire of distributors who claimed its streaming debut violated theatrical windows.
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Maniac Netflix Story
Maniac, mirroring the plot of the original Norwegian series, will center on the primary characters played by Stone and Hill; two people restricted to a mental institution, who manage to create fantasy worlds to escape the isolation of their insular existences. While the premise is arguably reminiscent of Zack Snyder’s 2011 atmospheric, sexified written/directorial action drama Sucker Punch, the show’s status as a comedy clearly telegraphs a different tone. Indeed, with the medium of television also recently covering the same “unreliable narrator” imagination filter trope with USA’s Mr. Robot, we can expect Maniac to purposefully project off-the-wall-themes.
Reinforcing the high-profile nature of the Maniac project (which landed on Netflix’s docket back in March), the report claims that the proverbial toast of the town, Stone, and perennial comedy star Hill kicked off the project with a January meeting in LA with Paramount Pictures CEO Brad Grey, who will apparently roll up his sleeves to be directly involved with the gestating series, specifically when it comes to ensuring that the stars’ busy schedules are synchronized enough to field their roles.
Maniac is in production in New York City, hoping to have things wrapped before Thanksgiving. For proper context, check out the zany trailer for the original Norwegian series below!
