Jodie Comer is set to lead HBO’s upcoming limited series The Chain, a new thriller from Watchmen and The Leftovers creator Damon Lindelof. The series is based on Adrian McKinty’s bestselling novel of the same name and follows Rachel, a suburban mother whose daughter is kidnapped. To get her back, Rachel is forced into a horrifying chain of events where one parent’s nightmare becomes another’s. HBO ordered the limited series earlier this year, with Lindelof serving as writer, executive producer and showrunner.
Comer will play Rachel, marking another major television role for the Emmy and BAFTA-winning actor, who first broke through for many UK viewers as Chloe in My Mad Fat Diary before becoming internationally known as Villanelle in Killing Eve. She also won a second BAFTA TV Award for the 2021 Channel 4 drama Help, and has recently appeared in films including 28 Years Later, The Bikeriders and The End We Start From.
Lindelof and Carly Wray have written the pilot script from a story by Lindelof, Wray and Breannah Gibson. The series is expected to expand on the mythology of McKinty’s novel, taking its already unsettling premise beyond the original page. Media Res will co-produce with HBO, with Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer executive producing for the company.
The hook alone is enough to make The Chain sound like one of HBO’s more nerve-shredding upcoming dramas. A parent being forced to make an impossible choice is already gripping thriller territory, but with Lindelof involved, it is probably safe to expect the series to dig into the moral rot beneath the premise rather than simply play it as a straight kidnapping story.
For CultureCues, Comer feels like a seriously strong choice for Rachel. Her best work has always carried that mix of control and volatility, where you can see a character thinking three steps ahead while barely holding themselves together underneath. Put that inside a story about motherhood, fear and survival, and The Chain already sounds like one to watch.
A release date for The Chain has not yet been confirmed.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.