Jude Law has always had an eye for interesting roles and strange stories. His latest series sees him back at HBO telling the story of a strange and spooky British village and a man who gets stuck there. The first trailer for that new project, The Third Day has arrived and it’s delightfully dark. Plus, it’s giving us some serious Wicker Man vibes. Initially delayed in the wake of COVID-19, The Third Day will now premiere on September 14 on HBO.
However, Law isn’t the only person unlucky enough to get caught up in the strange drama of the island. In an interesting move, the six-episode HBO show is separated into two three-episode stories, “Summer” and “Winter.”
The official press release teases the two stories that make up The Third Day:
“In ‘Summer,’ one man (Jude Law) visits a mysterious island off the British coast and discovers a group of inhabitants intent on preserving their home at any cost. In the second half, aka ‘Winter,’ a strong-willed outsider (Naomie Harris) comes to the island seeking answers—but instead causes a battle to decide its fate.”
Harris and Law are obviously a huge draw, but something else we’re incredibly excited about is the people behind the series. The series was created by Felix Barrett and Dennis Kelly, the latter of whom is also responsible for our favorite underrated British TV series, Utopia. Kelly also wrote the “Summer” segment while frequent Utopia director Mark Munden served as director. Kelly wrote the “Winter” portion alongside Kit de Wall and Dean O’Loughlin, while Philippa Lowthorpe directed.
For those who never got to see the brilliant horror series, Utopia centered on a graphic novel that told the story of the end of the world and the group of people who found it. Searingly shot, stunningly acted, and legitimately terrifying Utopia will soon be getting the American remake treatment from Gillian Flynn and Rainn Wilson. So this is the perfect time to get familiar with Kelly and Munden’s impressively atmospheric tone.
Britain has long been at the center of folk horror stories from The Wicker Man all the way through to Amazon’s upcoming The Pale Horse adaptation so we’re excited to see how The Third Day adds to this classical horror subgenre. Of course, Midsommar recently reimagined the cult folk genre in the lush landscapes of Sweden to horrifying effect so it’ll be interesting to see how the impact and popularity of that particular entry will impact this folk horror mini-series.
The Third Day trailer doesn’t show us too much in terms of plot but we do get a lot of atmosphere as we see Law wandering around the rural village, possibly reconnecting with an old flame, and finding a place within the intimate community. But when it comes time to leave it seems like that is no longer an option leaving him fighting for his life on the idyllic but dangerous island. Harris’s storyline is even less clear but we see her investigating something… possibly her missing husband? Is Law becoming trapped on the isle the connection between the two shows? And most interestingly we see her running from something across a moor with two children, so clearly she isn’t there alone. So… many… mysteries!
The Third Day premieres on September 14.
Header Image: HBO
Originally published on March 10, 2020, and updated on April 3.
