Mythology and mythological retellings are having their moment in the sun. With big franchises like the MCU digging deep into the world of myths in their movies and series, and other shows like Percy Jackson and the Olympians waiting in the wings, mythology is everywhere. Recently, we heard about Russell Crowe joining the cast of Thor: Love and Thunder as Zeus. And now, we have another king of the gods running around. Netflix has cast Jeff Goldblum as Zeus in its greek mythology retelling, Kaos. Goldblum replaces the originally cast Hugh Grant. And that’s just the beginning. Hades, Hera, Poseidon, Dionysus, and more have joined the cast of Netflix’s Greek mythology TV series.
The logline for the show shares more about its premise, noting:
A darkly comedic and contemporary reimagining of Greek mythology, exploring themes of gender politics, power, and life in the underworld.
According to Deadline, “Nothing is sacred in Covell’s bold reinvention of Greek myths (think tracksuits not togas), except the treachery and arrogance of a bunch of inconstant gods and their cosmic machinations…Some things never change.”
The publication further shares more about how the TV series will approach its Greek mythology roots. In Kaos, Zeus will be vengeful, yet painfully paranoid and insecure. Hades will be losing his grip on the Underworld as the dead lose their patience. Hera, Zeus’ wife and Queen, who rules over the Earth, will become threatened by Zeus’ erratic ways. And she will move to action. Meanwhile, Zeus’ son Dionysus is in a rebellious stage that spells a clash with his Kingly father. And Poseidon, god of the oceans, really just wants to party. But the mortals are starting to see something is going wrong. Gods beware.
In addition to Jeff Goldblum’s Zeus, Kaos will also star Janet McTeer as Hera, queen of the gods; Cliff Curtis as Poseidon, god of the seas; and David Thewlis as Hades, lord of the Underworld. Additionally, the Greek mythology series will see Killian Scott as Orpheus, who figures into a famous Greek myth that ends in tragedy. Entourage‘s Debi Mazer will play Medusa and Daniel Lawrence Taylor will play the hero Theseus, according to Deadline. Misia Butler, Leila Farzad, Nabhaan Rizwan, Rakie Ayola, Aurora Perrineau, and Stanley Townsend have also joined the series. Doctor Who‘s Billie Piper will appear in a cameo.
While many mythological retellings focus on the heroism of the gods, Greek mythology is actually an exceptionally dark place, especially by today’s standards. So it will be interesting to see how far Netflix pushes the envelope when it comes to the underlying messages the myths themselves hold. Thor: Love and Thunder may give us a glimpse of Thor’s bare behind, but we doubt it will give us a gritty look at Zeus or any of the other Olympians. We can’t wait to see what this Greek mythology series will do.
Originally published July 13, 2022.
