Prime Video Orders Harlan Coben Drama Starring Sam Claflin
‘Lazarus’ has Claflin as a forensic psychologist with some skeletons in his closet
Prime Video has ordered a psychological mystery thriller with the working title Lazarus, which is based on an idea from author Harlan Coben and Danny Brocklehurst.
A limited series, it will follow a man who returns home after his father’s suicide, and starts having disturbing experiences that don’t have an easy explanation. He becomes entangled in a series of cold-case murders as he grapples with the mystery of his father's death and his sister's murder 25 years ago.
Sam Claflin, who played Billy in Daisy Jones & The Six, will play Laz, a forensic psychologist who has spent his whole life running from the pain of his past. Bill Nighy will play Laz’s father, Doctor Lazarus. Alexandra Roach portrays Jenna Lazarus.
Claflin played Finnick in the film franchise The Hunger Games.
“We were instantly drawn to Lazarus, from the brilliant minds of Harlan and Danny, fitting perfectly into our Pan-English strategy. I am confident that our global Prime Video customers will embrace it too,” Amazon MGM Studios head of pan-English scripted SVPD TV Rola Bauer said. “Combining Director Wayne Yip’s vision with Sam, Bill, and Alexandra’s amazing talent, along with Nicola, Richard, and Quay Street as our award-winning production team, is a dream scenario.”
Quay Street Productions and Amazon MGM Studios produces the show in association with Final Twist Productions.
“Lazarus is a gripping series that captures your attention from the very beginning,” said Heather Curtis, current series executive Pan-English scripted SVOD TV, Amazon MGM Studios. “We’re thrilled to unite with Harlan, Danny, Quay Street, and the all-star cast of Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy and Alexandra Roach to tell this compelling story for our global Prime Video customers.”
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Coben and Brocklehurst will write and executive produce. Other exec producers are Nicola Shindler and Richard Fee of Quay Street Productions. Wayne Che Yip will direct the first two episodes and will executive produce as well.
Coben described the Lazarus concept as “a story of loss, redemption — and the eternal bond between a parent and a child, even after death.”
Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.