Andrew Garfield is having quite the moment. The star of The Social Network is currently in the running for an Oscar for his work in Tick…Tick…Boom!, while he also appeared in 2021’s highest-grossing movie Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Now he’s taking on his first leading role in a TV series in Under the Banner of Heaven, a true-crime thriller based on the best-selling book of the same name, by Jon Krakauer.
The series is inspired by the shocking events that led to the 1984 murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty (played by Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her baby daughter in Utah.
Garfield plays Detective Jeb Pyre, who discovers buried secrets while investigating the case that cause him to question his own Mormon faith.
Created by Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black (Milk) who is also showrunner and executive producer, the series looks set to be a gripping thriller made all the more disturbing by its real-life inspiration.
Read on for everything you need to know about Under the Banner of Heaven on Disney Plus.
Under the Banner of Heaven release date speculation
No UK release date has yet been announced for Under the Banner of Heaven, but it is set to premiere in the US on Hulu on 28th April.
There’s nothing scarier than the truth. FX’s Under the Banner of Heaven – starring Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, and Daisy Edgar-Jones – premieres April 28. Only on @hulu. pic.twitter.com/98elNhkQOa
— FX Networks (@FXNetworks) March 8, 2022
While that doesn’t mean we will necessarily get the show here in April, series which have debuted on Hulu in the US such as The Dropout have stuck with a similar release pattern here in the UK on Disney Plus.
So far, Disney has just said the series is “coming soon” so let’s hope we get confirmation in the coming weeks.
Under the Banner of Heaven cast: Andrew Garfield plays Jeb Pyre
Academy Award nominee Andrew Garfield leads the cast as Detective Jeb Pyre, a devout Mormon who begins to question his own faith as he investigates events which transpired within the Lafferty family.
Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Brenda Wright Lafferty, while her brothers-in-law Ron and Dan Lafferty are played by Sam Worthington (Avatar 2) and Wyatt Russell (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) respectively.
The cast is rounded out by Denise Gough (Andor), Billy Howle (Chloe), Gil Birmingham (Pieces of Her), Adelaide Clemens (Parade’s End), Rory Culkin (Halston), Seth Numrich (Homeland), Chloe Pirrie (The Queen’s Gambit) and Sandra Seacat (Enlightened).
Is Under the Banner of Heaven a true story?
Under the Banner of Heaven is inspired by the true-crime bestseller of the same name from Jon Krakauer. While Garfield’s Jeb Pyre seems to be a fictional addition to the story, the double murder the series focuses on was all too real.
In 1984, Brenda Wright Lafferty and her infant daughter Erica were murdered, with Brenda’s brothers-in-law Dan and Ron later found guilty of the crime. Ron claimed that he was sent a revelation from God to kill the mother and child because of her resistance to his belief in polygamy.
The brothers had joined a religious cult known as the School of Prophets shortly before they committed the murders and Ron’s wife had left him and moved to Florida with his children. Brenda had agreed with her decision, which is said to have enraged Ron.
The book also explores the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often known as the Mormon Church, and the show is similarly expected to delve into the consequences of unyielding faith.
Under the Banner of Heaven trailer
FX dropped the first trailer for Under the Banner of Heaven on 23rd February, giving us our first look at the eerie new thriller and Garfield’s Detective Jeb Pyre.
The trailer closes out with Garfield’s chilling line: “I wonder how something so horrific could have come to pass.”
You can watch the full trailer below:
Under the Banner of Heaven will premiere on Disney Plus. You can sign up to Disney+ for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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