HBO has announced a series order for Chernobyl, a five-episode miniseries that will be co-produced with Sky Television.
“From the moment Craig Mazin pitched us the story, we were convinced that this all-too-true tale of horror and redemption needed to be told,” said Kary Antholis, president, HBO Miniseries and CINEMAX Programming. “It will engage — and enrage — our viewers, as well as audiences around the world.”
From Craig Manzin (The Huntsman: Winter’s War), Chernobyl tells the story of the 1986 nuclear disaster that became one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history. Emmy nominee Jared Harris (Mad Men) is the first bit of casting announced and will play Soviet scientist Valery Legasov, a man chosen specifically by the Kremlin to investigate the accident.
Chernobyl joins a lineup of upcoming limited programming for HBO that includes Andrew Jackson project American Lion, set to star Oscar winner Sean Penn, and Gentleman Jack from Happy Valley‘s Sally Wainwright. The network recently received Emmy nominations for limited series The Night Of and Big Little Lies, as well as for TV movies Black Mirror: San Junipero, The Wizard of Lies, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
