Let it never be said that Netflix doesn’t take risks. Hot on the heels of shows like The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself, Sex Education, and Lockwood & Co comes Kaos, a rather refreshing take on Greek mythology that also happens to be absolutely bonkers.
Set to air on Netflix at the end of August, it’s been created by Charlie Covell – otherwise known as the brains behind hit series The End of the F***ing World.
And the series promises to be a hoot. The trailer has already delivered quirky takes on Greek myths, jokes aplenty, and some really rather barmy visuals: here’s what we know so far.
What’s it based on?
This appears to be a very loose retelling of a couple of iconic Greek myths. There is the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (here played by Killian Scott and Aurora Perrineau) – aka the man who followed his wife into the Underworld after she died in order to bring her back to the surface (and back to life).
Some of the Greek gods are also here. There’s Zeus, the king of the gods, his wife Hera, and Dionysus, all of whom are busy meddling in the lives of mortals. And there’s the mythical monster Medusa, who pops up in the trailer wearing a turban, as well as Prometheus, the titan who brought fire to mankind, and was punished for it by being chained to a rock for all eternity. With an eagle pecking at his liver.
But it’s all with a modern-day twist: this version of Zeus wears a tracksuit, things are set in the modern day empire of Crete (complete with supermarkets), and we catch glimpses of riot police, guns and news broadcasts of unnatural, god-created storms. If this makes it sound demented, then rest assured: it absolutely is.
Who’s in the cast?
The cast is stacked with some pretty big names. Leading the pack is Jeff Goldblum as Zeus, the (rather unstable) leader of the gods, with Stephan Dillane as his would-be usurper Prometheus.
He’s joined by Janet McTeer as Hera, his wife, New Zealand actor Cliff Curtis as Poseidon, the god of the sea, and David Thewlis as Hades (interestingly, Thewlis also played a villainous Hades in Wonder Woman). Oh, and Nabhaan Rizwan – brother of Mawaan, with whom he appeared in BBC 3 show Juice – plays Dionysus.
On the human side, Irish actor Killian Scott plays Orpheus, while Aurora Perrineau plays Eurydice, or Riddy. Misia Butler plays mysterious human Caneus, while Leila Farzad – aka Naomi in I Hate Suzie – plays Ari.
Most intriguingly, Billie Piper plays Cassandra, complete with a messy wig, rotting teeth, and a nose tattoo. While we’re not entirely sure what role she’s going to play, in the myths, Cassandra was a cursed soothsayer: while she could see into the future, she was doomed to have nobody believe in her prophecies. And, finishing off the cast list, there’s Suzy Izzard (also known as Eddie), playing... well, we don’t know yet. Eyes peeled!
What’s the plot?
The synopsis lays it out: "Having long enjoyed his status as king of the gods, Zeus’s reign has never been truly threatened. That is, until he wakes up one morning and discovers a wrinkle on his forehead.”
For Zeus, that means the beginning of the end: it’s a sign that an ancient prophecy is coming to pass, one that foretells his destruction. With Zeus convinced that his fall is coming, he starts to self-destruct, with dangerous consequences for everybody around him, both god and mortal.
But, as the synopsis states, "He’s right to be worried. Zeus’s one time friend and now prisoner, Prometheus, is orchestrating a plan to bring him down. The plan involves three disparate humans, all of whom are totally unaware of their cosmic significance or the part they must play in saving the world. No pressure. (Some pressure.)"
We’re assuming some of those humans include Orpheus and Eurydice – whose story looks like it’ll make up a significant part of the plot. The trailer shows Orpheus shooting the god Dionysus (unsuccessfully) on a beach, before Dionysus offers him a deal: what if he could see his wife again?
Cue a mission to the Underworld, where we assume things will not go all that smoothly.
Is there a trailer?
Yes there is, and it looks all kinds of cuckoo: we’ve popped it at the top of the page.
When’s the release date?
It will be coming out on Netflix on August 29.
