Watch: Trailer for Sky’s The Fear Index
David Farnor | On 23, Dec 2021
Josh Hartnett is heading to Sky this February for The Fear Index, and a new trailer gives us a first look at the thriller.
Produced by Left Bank Pictures in association with Sky Studios, the series stars Hartnett as Dr Alex Hoffman, a technology genius who experiences a waking nightmare of the worst 24 hours of his life. Hartnett is joined by Arsher Ali (The Ritual, Informer) as Hugo, his hedge fund business partner and best friend, Leila Farzad (I Hate Suzie, Innocent) as Gabby Hoffman and Grégory Montel (Call My Agent) as Detective Leclerc.
The fast-paced four-part series is adapted by Paul Andrew Williams (Broadchurch) and Caroline Bartleet (Ticking) from Robert Harris’ novel, and is directed by David Caffrey (The Alienist, Peaky Blinders).
Dr Alex Hoffman is launching VIXAL-4 to investors - an AI-driven system that exploits fear in the financial markets and operates at lightning speed to make big returns. The promise is billions, the rich are ready to get richer… but this is not the day Alex and Hugo had planned. What follows is a terrifying journey through the worst 24 hours of Alex’s life - cutting across reality, memory and paranoid fantasy, forcing him to question everything he sees with his own eyes. In the pulse of Geneva’s financial district, Alex’s sanity is shaken after he is viciously attacked at his home by a man who knows all of his security codes. After more unexplained occurrences, Alex becomes convinced he’s being framed. But as secrets surface from his past, will anyone believe that he isn’t just losing his mind?
Detective Leclerc (Montel), assigned to Alex’s case, struggles to work this former CERN scientist out. Hoffman’s talented artist wife, Gabby (Farzad) might just be losing patience this time, whilst Hugo’s only concern is the billion-dollar business on the line. Invention can be lonely, and in a modern world of AI, capitalism and technological breakthroughs, Dr Alex Hoffman is about to learn the hard way how destructive his creation might be…
Watch this space for a confirmed UK air date. Until then, here’s the trailer:
Josh Hartnett to star in Sky’s The Fear Index
27th April 2021
Josh Hartnett is returning to Sky for new thriller The Fear Index.
Hartnett, who played Ethan Chandler in the Sky Original series Penny Dreadful, will star in the four-part series based on the novel by Robert Harris.
Adapted by Paul Andrew Williams and Caroline Bartleet, and directed by David Caffrey (The Alienist, Peaky Blinders), the fast-paced limited series co-stars Leila Farzad (I Hate Suzie, Innocent), Arsher Ali (The Ritual, Informer) and Grégory Montel (Call My Agent).
Hartnett will play Dr Alex Hoffman, a computer scientist and genius who is ready to make a killing. Alongside his Hedge Fund business partner and best friend, Hugo (Ali), he’s launching VIXAL-4 to investors – an AI-driven system that exploits fear in the financial markets and operates at lightning speed to make big returns. The promise is billions, the rich are ready to get richer… but this is not the day Alex and Hugo had planned on. What follows is a fast-paced journey through the worst 24 hours of Alex’s life – cutting across reality, memory and paranoid fantasy, forcing him to question everything he sees with his own eyes.
In the pulse of Geneva’s financial district, Alex’s sanity is shaken after he is viciously attacked at his home by a man who knows all of his security codes. After more unexplained occurrences, Alex becomes convinced he’s being framed. But as secrets surface from his past, will anyone believe that he isn’t just losing his mind? Detective Leclerc (Montel), assigned to the case, struggles to work this former CERN scientist out, Hoffman’s talented artist wife, Gabby (Farzad) might just be losing patience this time, whilst Hugo’s only concern is the billion-dollar business on the line. Invention can be lonely, and in a modern world of AI, capitalism and technological breakthroughs, Dr Alex Hoffman might have to learn the hard way that it’s not always easy to foresee how destruction evolves from creation.
Gabriel Silver, Director of Commissioning, Drama, Sky Studios, said: “Paul and Caroline’s scripts offer a relentlessly gripping take on a chilling Frankenstein parable of our times, and we are delighted to be working with Left Bank and the incredible cast led by Josh Hartnett to bring Robert Harris’s thrilling story to Sky viewers.”
Produced by Left Bank Pictures in association with Sky Studios, The Fear Index will begin filming this month in Hungary and will air on Sky Atlantic later this year.