Visions of the future

Hollywood star John Cusack on starring in a pandemic-themed thriller…

- REBECCA MAHONEY

Chances are that most of us have seen a John Cusack movie. With more than 70 films under his belt – The Grifters (1991), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), High Fidelity (2000), to name a few –the versatile actor has built an enviable career on playing underdogs, anti-heroes and hopeless romantics.

But now John is treading new ground in Amazon Prime Video’s conspiracy thriller Utopia, which sees the 54-year-old star taking on his first-ever regular TV role. He stars as a biotechnology mastermind who’s linked to a sinister flu pandemic.

Written and executive-produced by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, the eight-part series is inspired by C4’s 2013 Emmy Award-winning show of the same name. And while filming wrapped shortly before COVID-19 hit, viewers may find some eerie parallels with the world we know today.