HBO has been teasing the blend of racism-fueled terror and supernatural horror in Lovecraft Country, its upcoming television series based on Matt Ruff’s 2016 novel of the same name, and now the latest trailer for the show reveals some of those frightening threats.
The trailer for Lovecraft Country was released ahead of the series’ Comic-Con@Home panel, a virtual preview of the show scheduled for Saturday as part of this year’s socially distant iteration of the annual Comic-Con International that’s typically held in San Diego. The 140-minute preview packs quite a bit into its brief running time, establishing the series’ tone and premise, following a trio of Black characters who embark on a journey south during the Jim Crow era of the 1950s.
As the trailer reveals, the dangers they face during that journey aren’t just human in nature, and the final moments of the preview deliver a montage of nightmarish scenes, culminating with a shot of a Cthulhu-like creature ripped straight from the H.P. Lovecraft tales that informed the story.
Developed for TV by Misha Green, Lovecraft Country stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Letitia “Leti” Dandridge, Jonathan Majors as Atticus Black, and Courtney B. Vance as Atticus’ uncle, George Black. Jordan Peele, Green, J. J. Abrams, and Ben Stephenson serve as executive producers on the series, which premieres August 16. The first season of Lovecraft Country will encompass 10 episodes.
Along with the three aforementioned actors, the cast also includes Aunjanue Ellis, Abbey Lee, Jada Harris, Wunmi Mosaku, and Michael Kenneth Williams. Filmmaker Yann Demange, who directed the critically praised dramas ’71 and White Boy Rick, directs the first two episodes of Lovecraft Country.
The Comic-Con@Home panel for Lovecraft Country is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT on Saturday, July 25. The cast and creative team for the show will discuss their work on it and offer a preview of what audiences can expect from HBO’s next highly anticipated original series, which is scheduled to premiere on August 16.
