Last month, the legendary Ray Liotta passed away at the age of 67, though several posthumous projects are still being released, including his final television role in the Apple TV+ series Black Bird.
Black Bird is a limited-run true-crime psychological thriller developed and executive-produced by Shutter Island author Dennis Lehane. Apple TV+ will premier the first two episodes Friday, July 8. A new episode will follow each week through August 5.
‘Black Bird’ Arrives to Apple TV+ July 8
The series is an adaptation of the memoir In with the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene and Hillel Levin. In addition to Ray Liotta, Taron Egerton stars as Jimmy Keene, a local high school football star and decorated policeman’s son who receives a sentence of 10 years in a minimum-security prison.
Ray Liotta will star as Keene’s father, Big Jim Keene. Additionally, Black Bird stars Paul Walter Hauser as Larry Hall, Greg Kinnear as Brian Miller and Sepideh Moafi as Lauren McCauley.
Inspired by actual events, Jimmy Keene is given the choice of a lifetime: either escape his 10 year sentence by entering a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend suspected killer Larry Hall, or stay and serve his sentence with no possibility for parole.
Keene realizes quickly that to escape he needs to elicit a confession from the killer. Keene also needs to find out where the bodies of several young girls are buried before Hall’s appeal goes through. However, Keene realizes that it isn’t easy trusting a serial killer.
The series is written by Lehane, who also oversaw development and served as executive producer. The first three episodes are directed by Academy Award nominees Michaël R. Roskam, who also serves as executive producer. Lehane, Edgerton and Roskom executive produce alongside Richard Plepler through EDEN Productions. Bradley Thomas, Dan Friedkin and Ryan Friedkin executive produce through Imperative Entertainment. Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambery executive produce through EMJAG Productions. Finally, Kary Anthills also executive produces, along with author Keene. Jim McKay and Joe Chappelle also direct.
The limited series is produced for Apple TV+ by Apple Studios.