When there is a series starring the Emmy Award-winning Elisabeth Moss, it will be a big event with everyone eagerly waiting to watch the new show. The acclaimed star of award-winning shows like Top of the Lake, Mad Men, and The Handmaid’s Tale, among others, and one of the greatest actresses of our generation, is set to star in a brand-new Apple TV+ drama series titled Shining Girls.

The show is based on the 2013 best-selling novel of the same name written by Lauren Beukes. It follows the story of Kirby Mazrachi, a newspaper archivist who is forced to come to terms with a violent assault that she suffered so that she can help identify the attacker before he assaults someone else again. Since Kirby was attacked, she has constantly found herself living in a twisted reality where she isn’t sure whether what she lives through is real or not. Especially since memories often tend to cheat you when there is any kind of trauma involved.

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The series will see Elisabeth Moss taking the role not just in front of the camera but also behind, too, as she’s reportedly taking on the role of the director for certain episodes and the show’s executive producer. There’s a lot to unpack about Shining Girls, considering its release date is just around the corner. Here’s everything we know so far about this Elisabeth Moss starrer drama series.

The Storyline

     Apple TV+

As mentioned earlier, Shining Girls is based on a novel of the same name. This Lauren Beukes novel follows the story of Kirby Mazrachi, a Chicago newspaper archivist who was a victim of a brutal assault only to find herself in a constantly changing reality as she is on the hunt for her attacker. As Mazrachi learns that there has been a murder recently similar to her own case, she ends up partnering with Dan Velazquez, a seasoned but troubled reporter, to find the attacker. In the process of finding the attacker, they realize that these cold cases are all linked, all while realizing their own traumas, along with Mazrachi’s twisted reality, allows the attacker to always be one step ahead.

As reported by Deadline, during the show’s CTAM presentation earlier this year, Elisabeth Moss shared some insight into Kirby Mazrachi’s relationship with Dan Velazquez. “What Wag’s character Dan represents to Kirby and to the show is — without getting into too much and going too far in spoiling anything — he’s the first person that’s as interested in this as she is,” Moss, who also directed and executive produced on Shining Girls, shared.

She continued, “He’s the first person that sees that there are these cold case murders, that sees that there’s something going on, and is just as interested in pursuing it as she is. And he’s the first person that doesn’t think that she’s crazy. He’s not quite so sure what exactly is going on yet but he is listening to her. I think that as a victim of trauma, to be listened to is so important and is so huge. And so that is what Dan brings into Kirby’s world that I think is really important.”

The Cast

Other than Moss, known for roles like The Invisible Man (2020), Shirley (2020), The Square (2017), and The One I Love (2014), playing Kirby Mazrachi, she’ll be joined by actors like Wagner Moura, who will play Dan. Moura is a Brazilian director, actor, filmmaker, journalist, and musician. He is known for his portrayal of Pablo Escobar in the first two seasons of the critically acclaimed Netflix series Narcos (2015-2016). Jamie Bell will play Harper Curtis. Bell was last seen in Without Remorse, the 2021 action thriller film based on the 1993 novel by Tom Clancy of the same name.

The series will also feature Phillipa Soo as Jin-Sook. Phillipa’s rise to fame came with the role of Eliza Hamilton in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical Hamilton. Her performance for this musical’s live stage recording on Disney+ led to her receiving a Prime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series or Movie back in 2020. Lastly, Amy Brenneman will be playing Rachel. Brenneman was last seen in the action thriller film Sweet Girl, and the TV series Tell Me Your Secrets.

Release Date

Apple TV+’s Shining Girls will be released on April 29, 2022. The first season will feature a total of eight episodes, of which the first three will be released on April 29, 2022, and new episodes will be released every subsequent Friday over the following five weeks. The show had an exclusive premiere, with a portion of the series being previewed at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival to the public and press.

Here is the official trailer of Apple TV+’s new drama series Shining Girls.