A serial killer will test Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù’s faith in a new thriller from the screenwriter of Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The Gangs of London and Black Rabbit star will lead writer Joe Robert Cole’s adaptation of S.A. Cosby’s propulsive novel All the Sinners Bleed. Set in the American South, the forthcoming nine-episode adaptation follows Dìrísù’s small-town sheriff Titus Crown as he tries to stop a murderer who believes they’re on a divine mission.
“The specificity of the world S.A. Cosby created truly swept me away, and Titus Crown seized my heart,” Cole, explaining why he wanted to adapt this novel, tells Tudum.
The cast also includes John Douglas Thompson, Nicole Beharie, Daniel Ezra, and more, including Academy Award winner Amy Madigan in a guest-starring role, and Emmy-nominated Kelly Jenrette (The Handmaid’s Tale) in a recurring guest role as Helen Crown. Keep reading below to learn more — if you dare.
Haunted by his devout mother’s untimely death, the first Black sheriff in a small Bible Belt county must lead the hunt for a serial killer who has quietly been preying on his Black community for years in the name of God.
Of joining All the Sinners Bleed, Thompson tells Tudum, “I was attracted to All the Sinners Bleed for its undeniable singularity. There is a depth and authenticity to this story that I am excited to explore and bring to life.”
Cortés tells Tudum, “As an avid reader who loves crime and mystery novels, I am super excited about being part of All the Sinners Bleed. As an artist, I am looking forward to exploring the various themes the novel touches on and working with this lovely creative team to take those themes from the paper to the screen. My callback with Joe Robert Cole was exhilarating, and I feel lucky to be working with someone who I believe will feel as passionate as I do about bringing the character of Carla Ortiz to life.”
Academy Award–winning composer Hans Zimmer (Dune: Part One, Top Gun: Maverick, No Time to Die, Gladiator) and his composer collective Bleeding Fingers Music will score All the Sinners Bleed.
“All the Sinners Bleed lives in the tension between faith, violence, and redemption, the kind of moral complexity where music speaks most powerfully,” says Zimmer. “Joe Robert Cole and S.A. Cosby have created a world that is haunting, intimate, and unflinchingly human. We’re proud to collaborate with Netflix, Higher Ground, and Amblin on a series unafraid to sit with discomfort and truth, allowing the score to breathe in moments of silence as much as in moments of chaos.”
Adds Cole, “Hans crafts unforgettable themes and immersive scores that root you emotionally in the world of a story. Our series explores the lighter and darker halves of who we are as people and which side wins within us. I’m incredibly excited to have Hans and the Bleeding Fingers Music composer collective interpreting this core contention through music.”
Yes. The show is an adaptation of S.A. Cosby’s 2023 Southern noir novel of the same name. According to NPR, Cosby is “one of the best-known names in the new, wonderfully diverse wave of crime fiction writers,” and this novel was not only a New York Times bestseller, but was also on former President Barack Obama’s summer reading list (which you’ll realize is a fun fact once you read the next section.)
Cole, whose previous credits also include Class of ’09, American Crime Story and All Day and a Night, will serve as showrunner, writer, and executive producer; he will also direct the first and select episodes.
All the Sinners Bleed will be executive produced by Higher Ground Productions (aka Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company), Amblin Television, and Cosby.
Netflix and Higher Ground previously collaborated on Bodkin, Leave the World Behind, American Symphony, Working: What We Do All Day, and Rustin.
Stream while you wait. Check out Tudum’s list of TV series based on books, like 3 Body Problem, The Queen’s Gambit, and more.
