The streamer has settled on a lead for its upcoming adaptation of the Skybound graphic novel Stillwater. Ben Hardy has been cast as Daniel West, the ex-con at the center of the story, in Amazon Prime Video’s one-hour series. The show has been given an eight-episode order, and Variety reported the casting.
Daniel receives a letter while living in Stillwater, a small town where he discovers that nobody ever ages, no one ever dies, and nobody ever gets out — and learns that it holds answers about his past and promises him a large inheritance.
Daniel West’s Letter
The official logline describes a “mind-bending horror thriller.” Daniel West is an ex-con who stumbles into a mystery when he receives a mysterious letter. That letter promises answers about his past and a substantial inheritance in the small town of Stillwater.
Daniel arrives in town as an outsider, and he soon finds himself caught up in a strange and disturbing situation that goes far beyond anything he could have anticipated.
Ben Hardy’s Career So Far
Film credits such as The Conjuring: Last Rites, Bohemian Rhapsody, X-Men: Apocalypse, Only the Brave, and 6 Underground make up Hardy’s work on the big screen. Television appearances including The Girl Before, The Woman in White, and EastEnders round out his resume.
Hardy has worked across both drama and genre projects, including biographical films and superhero blockbusters. He is represented by UTA, Principal Entertainment LA and Independent Talent Group.
The Writers Behind the Show
Carly Wray and Greg Berlanti are signed on as both writers and executive producers for the project. The two co-authored the pilot episode together. Berlanti handles his executive producing duties through Berlanti Productions.
The producers behind the project include Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, and Robbie Rogers of Berlanti Productions, along with Robert Kirkman, David Alpert, Rick Jacobs, Glenn Geller, and Zdarsky for Skybound Entertainment. Jonathan Gabay rounds out the list as an additional executive producer.
The two studios behind the series are Warner Bros. Television and Amazon MGM Studios. Both Berlanti and Wray hold overall deals at WBTV.
Why They Chose Hardy
“We’ve been fans of Ben’s for a long time, and we’re thrilled to get to tell this story together,” said series writers and executive producers Greg Berlanti and Carly Wray. “There’s a toughness to him, but also something incredibly open and soulful underneath it. Daniel needs both. From the moment we saw Ben in the role, it was impossible to imagine anyone else.”
Amazon has committed to eight episodes, a substantial order for the project. The latest update concerns casting, and it comes after steady progress since July, when the streamer gave the series a green light. Now the creative team has its lead actor.
Production Timeline
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Series greenlit | July |
| Ben Hardy cast as Daniel West | Announced by Variety |
The Skybound graphic novel of the same name serves as the foundation for the series. The original work was crafted by Chip Zdarsky and Ramón K Pérez.
A significant amount of industry weight sits behind the project, with both Warner Bros. Television and Amazon MGM Studios involved in its production.
The Stillwater project carries solid creative strength, a strong setup, and a lead actor with a proven track record. Its success will depend on whether it can manage the slow burn of a town that never changes.
The platform has placed its wager. The performance now stands or falls on that gamble.
Source material: “‘Stillwater’: Amazon Series Based on Graphic Novel Casts Ben Hardy in Lead Role,” Variety.
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