The Lazarus Project is a sci-fi thriller that sees I May Destroy You and Gangs of London actor Paapa Essiedu heading up the cast, playing George, a man who wakes up one day reliving a day from his past, with some notable exceptions — his success at work and his marriage to the love of his life Sarah (Charly Clive) seem to never have happened.
George is convinced he’s lost his mind but then meets a mysterious woman called Archie (Anjli Mohindra) who recruits him into a secret organization called The Lazarus Project, led by the formidable Wes (Caroline Quentin).
The organization has the power to turn back time each time the world is at threat from extinction and is desperately trying to stop a criminal hellbent on destroying the planet. But when something terrible happens to Sarah and George learns he can only turn back time if there’s a threat of global extinction he must wrestle with his conscience and decide what he’s willing to sacrifice in order to change his own fate.
Written by the creator of Giri/Haji, Joe Barton, it certainly looks to be one of the breakout shows of the year. Sky has teased us about the series, saying: “The Lazarus Project is a riveting series that speaks directly to our uncertain times and to our desire to take charge of what is beyond our control. It is a moving story of love and fate within a compelling, blistering action thriller that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats — all shot through with Joe Barton’s trademark dark humor.”
So here's everything you need to know about The Lazarus Project on Sky Max and TNT...
The Lazarus Project release date
After premiering in the UK on Sky Max in June 2022, The Lazarus Project arrives in the US on Sunday, June 4 2023, airing on cable network TNT. Episodes will air on the network weekly.
Is there a trailer for The Lazarus Project?
TNT unveiled a trailer for the show, which you can watch directly below. You can also watch the one that the UK saw when it premiered there.
The Lazarus Project plot
In The Lazarus Project, Paapa Essiedu stars as George, a seemingly ordinary guy who is left reeling when he wakes up one day to find he’s reliving a day from many months beforehand.
Strangely, all his recent achievements, including his marriage to Sarah (Charly Clive) and his work successes, have been undone yet he seems to be the only one who’s noticed.
Understandably George is convinced he’s losing his mind but then he is approached by a woman called Archie who says she’d like him to join a secret organization called The Lazarus Project. Headed up by the steely Wes, the organization has harnessed the power to turn back time every time the world is under threat of extinction. Like George, those who work there are the few people on Earth able to remember the events that are undone when time is turned back. And they must fight together to stop the drama's villain Rebrov (Tom Burke), a notorious criminal who wants to set off a nuclear warhead and destroy the world.
However, George’s life is turned upside down when Sarah is the victim of a freak accident and Lazarus won’t let him reverse time unless there’s the threat of global extinction. That leaves him with a choice — should he stay loyal or go rogue in order to rewrite the past?
The Lazarus Project cast — Paapa Essiedu on playing George
Paapa Essiedu is playing George, a man faced with an impossible choice as he gives us his take on The Lazarus Project...
"At its heart, it’s a love story set in a world where there’s a top-secret organisation that has the ability to turn back time in order to stop extinction-level events taking place - atomic bombs being dropped, worldwide viruses, civil wars — and then tinker in order to stop those things happening.
"George is an ordinary guy with a genetic mutation that gives him the ability to be involved in the time-tinkering process. He gets invited into this organisation, then something traumatic happens in his personal life. The show follows his journey of what he’s willing to do. What happens when you’re put in that position and you can look after number one, or you can look after everybody?
"I’ve been in action-y shows before, but I haven’t been at the heart of the gun-toting, car-crashing type thing - my character is very much at the centre of that in this, which was thrilling."
Paapa Essiedu is instantly recognisable as Kwame in Michaela Cole’s BAFTA winning series I May Destroy You. He also played Alexander Dumani in Gangs of London in 2020 and appeared in the series Press. Rising star Paapa has also been in The Miniaturist, Kiri, The Capture and the Channel 5 miniseries Anne Boleyn. Paapa is in the cast of Black Mirror season 6.
Caroline Quentin on playing Wes, aka Elizabeth Wesley
Caroline Quentin (see our main first look picture above) is taking on the role of Wes, the boss of The Lazarus Project.
Caroline says: "Wes, aka Elizabeth Wesley, is the highest rank of the organisation that we meet on screen. It’s very clear there are masses of rungs above her, but she has the power to press the button to turn the clock back. What really drew me to her was her staunch conviction in the idea of altruism. She truly believes it exists - but her relationship with that wavers over the course of the series…
"Every day it was a kind of glorious experience to walk up to your fellow cast members in the morning and go, ‘where are we today? What’s just happened? Have we done that? Is he dead?"
Caroline first won our hearts as Dorothy in Men Behaving Badly, alongside Martin Clunes, Neil Morrissey and Leslie Ash, which ran from 1992 until 1998. She then starred in Jonathan Creek, Life Begins and Blue Murder. Caroline has been in numerous TV shows including Life Of Riley, Doc Martin and Dickensian and will be in the upcoming movie Banking on Mr Toad with Joanne Froggatt and Phyllis Logan.
Anjli Mohindra on playing Archie
Anjli Mohindra plays the standoffish Archie who recruits George to The Lazarus Project. She starred in the hit 2018 drama Bodyguard, with Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes, and was also in the submarine-based drama Vigil and Munich: The Edge of War.
Anjli says: "Archie has all the qualities you’d want in a best friend or mentor. She’s funny, smart, brave and a little bit self-deprecating. What really drew me to her was her staunch conviction in the idea of altruism. She truly believes it exists - but her relationship with that wavers over the course of the series…"
Other cast in The Lazarus Project includes Charly Clive plays George’s wife Sarah. She’s best known for the TV series Pure. Strike star Tom Burke plays criminal mastermind Rebrov while The Split’s Rudi Dharmalingam also stars.
Who else is starring in The Lazarus Project?
Other cast in The Lazarus Project includes Charly Clive plays George’s wife Sarah. She’s best known for the TV series Pure. Strike star Tom Burke plays criminal mastermind Rebrov while The Split’s Rudi Dharmalingam also stars.
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