Apple TV has unveiled the first images from ‘Nocturne’, a new 10-part crime thriller starring Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan, Spotlight), Zazie Beetz (Atlanta, Deadpool 2) and Stephen Graham (Adolescence, This Is England), which will premiere globally this October.
Based on the internationally bestselling Lars Kepler crime novels The Sandman and Lazarus, the series follows Jonah Lynn (Liev Schreiber), an ex-soldier turned homicide detective who has had enough of working the tough streets of Philadelphia.
Hoping for something approaching a quiet life, Jonah moves to a small town in western Pennsylvania. As anyone who has ever watched a crime drama will know, moving to a small town in search of peace and quiet rarely ends well.
Things take a rather nasty turn when the town, and Jonah’s family, come under attack from the diabolically cunning serial killer Jurek Walter (Stephen Graham). The desperate search for Jurek’s last missing victim forces Jonah to send his surrogate daughter, FBI Agent Saga Bauer (Zazie Beetz), up against the killer, raising the question of just how far he will go to protect those he loves.
And yes, Stephen Graham is playing a diabolically cunning serial killer. That alone is probably enough to get a fair few people watching.
Interestingly, ‘Nocturne’ is not a completely direct adaptation of the books. The Sandman and Lazarus are part of Lars Kepler’s long-running Joona Linna series of novels, with the TV drama relocating the action from Scandinavia to Pennsylvania and reworking Joona Linna into Schreiber’s Jonah Lynn. However, Saga Bauer and serial killer Jurek Walter retain their names from the original novels.
The ensemble cast also includes Bill Camp (The Night Of, Presumed Innocent), Rory Culkin (Under the Banner of Heaven, Black Mirror), Chrissy Metz (This Is Us), Poorna Jagannathan (Never Have I Ever, The Night Of) and Gary Carr (The Deuce, Death in Paradise).
The series was created for television by Rowan Joffé (Tin Star, Ballad of a Small Player), who writes and executive produces. John Hlavin (Shooter, The Man Who Fell to Earth) developed the drama for television, serving as writer, executive producer and showrunner.
Tim Van Patten (Franklin, Masters of the Air) directs the opening two episodes and also serves as an executive producer. Schreiber executive produces alongside Beetz through her Sleepy Poppy production company.
Lars Kepler is the pen name of Swedish writing duo Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril. Their 10 published crime novels have sold a combined 20 million copies around the world, been translated into 40 languages and distributed across more than 170 territories.
‘Nocturne’ premieres Friday, 30th October 2026 on Apple TV, launching with two episodes followed by new episodes every Friday.
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