Hulu’s “Monsterland” anthology series, formerly known as “The Untitled Mary Laws Project,” has the stars of its first episode: “Unbelievable” actress Kaitlyn Dever and “Westworld” actor Jonathan Tucker.
Hulu describes the series as encounters with mermaids, fallen angels and other strange beasts drive broken people to desperate acts in an attempt to repair their lives, ultimately showing there is a thin line between man and monster.
The series is based on “North American Lake Monsters,” a collection of short stories by Nathan Ballingrud.
Here is the description of the first episode: “Overwhelmed and underwater, teen mother Toni (Dever) is trapped in her dead-end life, until a mysterious stranger shows her that escape is possible… but only if she’s willing to pay for it.”
Dever’s Toni is described as a struggling waitress and overwhelmed mother to a deeply troubled little girl. At just 19, Toni is already world-weary. Making do in the middle of nowhere in Louisiana without family, money, or the hope of something better, Toni’s life is a long, dark highway with no exit in sight.
But when she meets Alex (Tucker), Toni is forced to decide just how far she’s willing to go to change her reality. Alex is a mysterious out-of-towner, road-hard and brooding, whose mere presence feels like a threat — or a dare. Magnetic in his strangeness, Alex has found a shocking way to jettison his past and take on new identities — one that inspires Toni to shake off the burdens of her own merciless life, whatever the cost.
Produced by Annapurna, the series is created, written and executive-produced by Laws (“Succession”). It’s also executive-produced by Under the Shadow’s Lucan Toh and Babak Anvari, plus Annapurna’s Megan Ellison and Sue Naegle. Ali Krug will be a co-executive producer.