Full Breakdown
Below: Netflix Unveils New Six-Part Thriller Set in Newfoundland
7/29/2026, 12:31:35 PM
Teaser Launch and Core Premise
Netflix released the first teaser trailer for Below, a six-episode limited series that follows fisherman Calvin Penney (Josh Hartnett) in a small Newfoundland town. Haunted by his father’s mysterious death decades earlier, Calvin confronts an “unidentified sea creature” that begins terrorizing the community. Determined to protect his son Wade (Charlie Heaton) and the rest of his family, Calvin teams up with visiting marine researcher Fonda Howander (Mackenzie Davis) to uncover the creature and the island’s buried secrets before it’s too late. The series blends local myth, suspense and heartfelt humor while emphasizing themes of family, community and change.
Production Details and Release Schedule
- Creator/Showrunner: Jesse McKeown, also executive producer.
- Executive Producers: McKeown, Josh Hartnett, Jessica Rhoades (through Pacesetter), Chris Hatcher, Jamie Childs, Louise Sutton, Sharon Hall.
- Writers: Karen Walton, Perry Chafe, Natty Zavitz.
- Directors: Jamie Childs, Helen Shaver, Stephen Dunn.
- Filming Location: On-location in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, with cast members working on actual ocean sets and local vessels.
- World Premiere: The series will open the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) 2026 Primetime program in September 2026.
- Netflix Debut: All six episodes will surface on Netflix on October 8, 2026.
Cast and Characters
- Josh Hartnett – Calvin Penney, a big-hearted but stubborn fisherman.
- Mackenzie Davis – Fonda Howander, a marine researcher.
- Charlie Heaton – Wade Penney, Calvin’s son.
- Ruby Stokes – Mary Penney.
- Kaleb Horn – Noah.
- Rohan Campbell – Jay Penney.
- Willow Kean – Ruth Penney.
Official Statements & Responses
- “I read the first two scripts so quickly, in less than an hour,” — Josh Hartnett, executive producer.
- “With six episodes, you can take your time and tell a bigger story with more characters and more unexpected detours,” — Jesse McKeown, executive producer.
- “It’s such a unique landscape and so rugged, dangerous, isolated, and scary in a lot of ways,” — Jesse McKeown, executive producer.
Netflix’s press materials emphasize that the series is not supernatural, positioning the creature as a tangible, flesh-and-blood threat rooted in the region’s maritime history.
Data & Statistics
- Episodes: 6 (limited series).
- Genre: Thriller/monster-feature with elements of local folklore and dark humor.
- Runtime: Standard hour-long episodes (exact minutes not disclosed).
Why It Matters
- Genre Revival: “Below” joins a recent wave of creature-driven horror series such as Apple TV’s *Widow’s Bay*, tapping audience appetite for suspenseful, myth-infused storytelling.
- Regional Spotlight: By filming in Newfoundland and foregrounding the province’s historic hardships—cod-fishery collapse, severe storms, and economic decline—the series uses its setting as more than a backdrop, grounding the horror in real-world community resilience.
- Talent Consolidation: The project reunites genre-seasoned actors (Hartnett, Heaton, Davis) and a creative team with credentials from *The Umbrella Academy*, *Orphan Black* and *The Sandman*, suggesting a high production value and potential critical attention.
What’s Next
The series will be showcased at TIFF’s 2026 Primetime lineup in September, offering the first full-episode screenings to festival audiences. Following the festival, the worldwide streaming launch on Netflix is scheduled for October 8, 2026, where all six episodes will be released simultaneously for binge viewing.
