Filmmakers Andy and Lana Wachowski have had a rough couple of years, after the disappointing Matrix sequels and a handful of flops like Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas. While they have retained their reputation as unique and visionary filmmakers, they’ve failed to garner much commercial success. Now that they’re next film, Jupiter Ascending, has been delayed by Warner Brothers and moved to the box office deathtrap that is February, they could really use a win. Luckily, they have Netflix’s original series Sense8 up their sleeves, and new details about the 10-episode science fiction epic have finally arrived.
In typical Wachowski fashion, Sense8 will be a globe-trotting sci-fi drama, filled with psychological themes and mind-bending storylines. It also sports a massive 14-member international cast, which we now know consists of LOST alum Naveen Andrews, Kill Bill’s Daryl Hannah, Stargate Universe’s Brian J. Smith, British actors Tuppence Middleton (Jupiter Ascending), Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who), and Aml Ameen (The Maze Runner), Indian actress Tena Desae, South Korean actress Doona Bae, German actor Max Riemelt, Mexican actors Alfonso Herrera and Erendira Ibarra, and Jamie Clayton, Miguel Silvestri, and Terrence Mann.
But wait, that’s not all folks! In addition to the long cast list, we also received our first concrete plot details. Up until today, the series has merely been cryptically and frustratingly described as “a gripping global tale of minds liked and souls hunted.” Needless to say, that’s not much to go on. Thankfully, co-showrunner J. Michael Straczynski (World War Z, Babylon 5) has solved our problem and offered up this intriguing synopsis:
“The series follows eight characters around the world who, in the aftermath of a tragic death, find themselves linked to each other mentally and emotionally. They can not only see and talk to each other as though they were in the same place, they have access to each other’s deepest secrets. Not only must they figure out what happened and why and what it means for the future of humanity, they must do so while being hunted by an organization out to capture, kill or vivisect them.”
According to Deadline, the eight characters at the center of the story will be played by Smith, Middleton, Ameen, Bae, Silvestri, Desae, Riemelt, and Clayton. The production of the series also matches its global span, and will be filmed in nine locations on four continents: Chicago, San Francisco, London, Iceland, Seoul, Mumbai, Berlin, Mexico City, and Nairobi.
The series sounds like Netflix’s most ambitious production yet, and has the potential to capture the things we love most about the Wachowskis. Though no release date has been set, Sense8 is expected to premiere sometime next year.