Josh Hartnett Battles a Nightmare From the Deep in Netflix’s ‘Below’ Trailer

Josh Hartnett is heading into some very dangerous waters. Netflix has released the full trailer for ‘Below,’ a new limited series that puts the actor in the middle of a dark mystery involving a terrifying creature from the sea. The six-episode thriller is set to arrive on Netflix on October 8, giving horror fans something very different to look forward to this fall.

Hartnett plays Calvin Penney, a fisherman living in a small coastal community in Newfoundland. Calvin may seem like a tough guy who knows how to handle life at sea, but he is carrying plenty of pain from his past. His father died under mysterious circumstances years ago, and those old wounds have never really gone away. Things become even more difficult when something strange begins attacking the area.

The trailer suggests that whatever is hiding beneath the water is not an ordinary animal. The creature becomes a growing threat to the town, forcing Calvin to put his personal problems aside and protect the people closest to him. His son, Wade, played by ‘Stranger Things’ star Charlie Heaton, is especially important to him, and keeping his family safe quickly becomes his biggest priority.

Calvin does not have to face the mystery completely alone. He joins forces with Fonda, a marine researcher played by Mackenzie Davis. Together, they start looking into what is happening and uncover clues that suggest the creature may be connected to secrets buried deep in the area’s past. What begins as a fight for survival soon turns into something much bigger.

Hartnett has already explained why he was so interested in the series. Speaking with Netflix’s Tudum, the actor said the scripts immediately grabbed his attention. “I read the first two scripts so quickly, in less than an hour,” Hartnett said. “The voice was so clear, the concept was so engaging, and the character was fantastic. I’d never read anything like it before.”

That reaction makes sense when looking at the show’s unusual mix of genres. ‘Below’ is not being presented as a simple monster story. There is a family drama at its center, along with a mystery that slowly unfolds as Calvin and Fonda try to understand what they are dealing with. The remote Newfoundland setting also gives the series a cold and isolated atmosphere where help may not always be close by.

Davis seems to have enjoyed working with Hartnett just as much. She described their characters’ partnership in an interview with Tudum by saying, “Josh and I were like two buddy cops solving a mystery.” She added, “I’ve never done that in anything else… I like being in that world so much.” Davis also said she likes stories that can mix humor, scares, and intelligence, something she believes is not easy to find.

The series comes from creator and showrunner Jesse McKeown, who has worked on ‘The Umbrella Academy.’ Newfoundland also has a personal connection to McKeown, making the setting more than just a pretty backdrop for the story. Production took place in and around St. John’s, helping give the town and its surrounding waters a more authentic feel.

The cast also includes Ruby Stokes, Kaleb Horn, Rohan Campbell, and Willow Kean. Hartnett is not only starring in the series but also serves as an executive producer, giving him an even bigger role in bringing the project to life.

Before its Netflix release, ‘Below’ will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of the festival’s Primetime lineup. That gives the series an early chance to make an impression before it reaches a much wider audience.

With a mysterious creature, a troubled family, a remote town, and Josh Hartnett leading the cast, ‘Below’ could be one of Netflix’s more interesting genre releases this fall. The trailer certainly makes one thing clear: whatever is living beneath the water, Calvin is going to have a very hard time stopping it.

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