Netflix viewers are in for a treat this year. The streaming giant has some incredible new shows and films lined up for 2024, from the hotly-anticipated Scoop, which fictionalises Prince Andrew's infamous Newsnight interview, to Sarah Lancashire and Keira Knightley's upcoming spy thriller, Black Doves.
I was lucky enough to get an exclusive peak at some of the upcoming releases at Next on Netflix – an event to showcase upcoming releases – and these are the films and series that I'm most excited about.
Scoop – April 5
Based on the 2021 book by former Newsnight Editor Sam McAlister, Scoop gives an inside account of how the BBC secured Emily Maitlis' now-infamous 2019 interview with Prince Andrew, in which he discussed his friendship with convicted sex offender and disgraced financier, Jeffrey Epstein.
Rufus Sewell stars as Andrew, alongside Gillian Anderson as Emily, while Billie Piper plays Sam McAlister, and Keeley Hawes portrays Andrew's former private secretary Amanda Thirsk.
The film aims to "spotlight the journalists whose tenacity and guts broke through the highest of ceilings – and into the inner sanctum and calculations of a man with everything to lose".
Speaking about the story in a prerecorded video shown at Next on Netflix, Gillian said: "I really think it's a fantastic take on the interview, on Sam McCallister's story. It feels very modern and fresh and propulsive, and I really believed in watching it. I really enjoyed the film and they've all done an incredible job."
Joy – sometime in 2024
Set between 1968 and 1978, Joy tells the extraordinary true story behind the origins of IVF and the birth of the world's first 'test-tube-baby', Louise Joy Brown in 1978.
Thomasin McKenzie stars as Jean Purdy, a young nurse and embryologist, who teams up with scientist Robert Edwards (James Norton) and surgeon Patrick Steptoe (Bill Nighy) to "unlock the puzzle of infertility by pioneering in vitro fertilization".
Expanding on the plot, writer Jack Thorne said: "It's a story of three people who worked together despite the whole world being against them to try and bring up the story of infertility.
"There's Robert Edwards, who's a scientist, Jean Purdy who works with him and who has never been given the credit for this that she deserves and hopefully this film resets that slightly, and Patrick Steptoe, who's the surgeon and they don't get any support from the Medical Research Council."
Kaos – sometime in 2024
Starring Jeff Goldblum in the role of Zeus, Netflix's upcoming fantasy drama Kaos is a contemporary reimagining of Greek mythology, telling an epic tale "exploring love, power and life in the underworld".
When one day Zeus makes the shocking discovery of a wrinkle on his forehead, paranoia builds and the cruel King of Gods becomes convinced his fall is nigh.
The synopsis continues: "And he’s right to be worried because Zeus' onetime friend and now prisoner, Prometheus, is orchestrating a plan to bring him down. The plan involves three disparate humans, all of whom are totally unaware of their cosmic significance or the part they must play in saving the world."
Eric – May 30
Set in 1980s New York, this gut-wrenching limited series sees Benedict Cumberbatch play Vincent Sullivan, a puppet maker and creator of the hugely popular children's television show Good Day Sunshine, whose life begins to unravel after his nine-year-old son Edgar goes missing on the way to school.
The thriller, which is inspired by a true story, comes from the brains behind The Split and The Iron Lady, Abi Morgan.
Teasing the plot, Abi explained: "It's really about Vincent's journey, not only into the heart of New York and everything that it offers in the mid-eighties, but also into himself.
"It's about his relationship with his wife, Cassie, but also his journey to really find where Edgar is, and what's key to that is he finds some drawings of Eric, which is a puppet that Edgar has created, and he convinces himself if he can get Eric on TV, then maybe his son will come back."
Black Doves – sometime in 2024
Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw and Sarah Lancashire star in this upcoming spy series, which comes from The Lazarus Project creator Joe Barton.
Set in London during the Christmas period, the thriller follows Keira's character Helen Webb, a quick-witted professional spy who for the last ten years has been passing on her politician husband's secrets to the shadowy organisation she works for: the Black Doves.
But when her secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated, her spymaster Reed (Sarah Lancashire) calls in an old friend to keep her safe.
Ben plays Sam Young, a "suave, Champagne-drinking assassin" who, despite being out of the game since one of his jobs ended in disaster, sets out to protect Helen as she attempts to find Jason's killer.
The synopsis continues: "Together, they set off on a mission that will lead them to uncover a vast, interconnected conspiracy. One that links the murky underworld of London to a looming geopolitical crisis - and leads them to question the cost of the moral choices they've made."
In a video message recorded from the show's set, Ben compared the dynamic between his and Keira's characters to that of siblings. "We think of them as being almost a bit like brother and sister at times don't we?" asked Ben.
"They've got that friendship where they know each other the best in the world," Keira added.