HBO released the first teaser trailer for their new series, The Outsider, starring Jason Bateman, Ben Mendelsohn, Bill Camp and Cynthia Erivo. Based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel, The Outsider follows Detective Ralph Anderson (Mendelsohn) as he tries to solve the murder of an 11-year-old girl whose body has just been discovered in the Georgia woods. The prime suspect? The local Little League coach, Terry Maitland (Bateman).
But, as with all true crime mysteries, this case isn’t so clear-cut.
“I’m as baffled by this conflicting evidence as you are,” says Mendelsohn.
We come to learn that while Maitland’s prints are all over the crime scene, TV footage puts him 60 miles away; setting the scene for the series’ central mystery: Who killed Frankie Peterson?
With the return of True Detective and Sharp Objects being big hits for the network, HBO has been on a true crime hot-streak lately. The Outsider, which looks to follow in their footsteps, certainly has an impressive pedigree; Richard Price (The Night Of) wrote the teleplay and executive produces the limited series, Erivo (who plays a detective also on the case) has proven to be a captivating screen presence, King adaptations are in high-demand and Bateman, fresh off his Emmy win for Ozark, directs the first two episodes. We’re intrigued. And along for the ride.
The Outsider premieres on January 12, 2020, on HBO.