Apple TV Plus has released the trailer for The Mosquito Coast, a family crime drama that very much looks like its own version of a Breaking Bad or Ozark-type show. It's about a father and radical inventor, Allie Fox (played by The Leftovers' Justin Theroux), who takes his family to Mexico after falling afoul of the US authorities and going on the run.
'Crime dad' is the flavor Apple is going for here, then – and the first two episodes roll out on April 30. Notably, the series is directed by Rupert Wyatt, best known for 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Melissa George, who you might remember from Alias, co-stars in the series.
Weirdly, the 1981 book the series is based on was written by Justin Theroux's uncle, Paul Theroux (documentary maker Louis Theroux is his son, too). The book was previously adapted into a 1986 movie starring Harrison Ford. Luther creator Neil Cross is behind the adaptation, along with video game writer Tom Bissell.
Check the trailer out here:
After the April 30 premiere, new episodes of The Mosquito Coast will subsequently land each Friday.
If you've got a free subscription to the service with an Apple device, check out our list of the best Apple TV Plus shows for recommendations of stuff to watch on there.
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Apple TV Plus begins to take shape
Apple TV Plus' big disadvantage since launch has been its lack of library content, making its success as a streamer entirely contingent on big budget originals. Now, as the shows are starting to mount up, it's staking a valid claim in the streaming landscape.
While like everyone, Apple has been hit with pandemic delays, it's kept a pretty steady stream of shows coming over the past year. With series like Ted Lasso, Defending Jacob and Mythic Quest making some waves, there is a sense that Apple is looking to avoid doing exactly the same thing as everyone else.
Something that clearly matters to Apple is recognizable faces – a lot of these shows have big talent in front of the camera. For The Mosquito Coast, lead actor Justin Theroux was acclaimed for his role as an existentially-challenged father in The Leftovers, and later popped up in Netflix's Maniac with Jonah Hill and Emma Stone.
