Comic-Con@Home is at full force! While it’s not quite the same as the in-person experience, it’s certainly the best that can be done do at a time like this. Not to mention it’s pretty awesome that they were able to pull together all of this fairly last minute.

There’s plenty going on during the virtual convention to keep your attention, but today I want to draw attention to one of Amazon Studios’ new shows. The new show in question? One called Utopia. Originally a British TV series back in 2013, the show is being adapted for the US thanks to Amazon Studios. Notably, there really hasn’t been much news or talk about the show besides simple announcements that it was happening in the first place. The show only initially caught my own attention due to Jessica Rothe’s involvement–an actress of Happy Death Day fame, and someone who doesn’t get nearly enough attention in the spotlight. Add on a high concept idea, and I was intrigued, to say the least.

The show held its own panel during the Comic-Con, where the cast gave us some insight on the upcoming show. This Included providing us with a brand new trailer as seen below.

Honestly, the trailer doesn’t provide many concrete details on what the show is actually about–instead of providing us with a bunch of tidbits without any context in order to build intrigue among those viewing it. Thankfully the cast was on hand to help us out.

According to the series creator and writer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects), the show is a conspiracy thriller to the core. She was inspired by the 70’s conspiracy thrillers that she grew up with, films that shaped her approach to the US adaptation. Utopia is about a comic book nerds group of four that think they have uncovered a comic series that holds the secrets to what is happening in the world.

The rest of the cast from the panel included the likes of John Cusack (High Fidelity), Desmin Borges (You’re The Worst), Dan Bryd (Cougar Town), Sasha Lane (Daniel Isn’t Real), Ashleigh LaThrop (The Handmaid’s Tale), Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton (Euphoria), and Rainn Wilson (The Office).

Here’s a rundown of some quick tidbits provided by the cast:

  • The show takes place in Chicago, a setting that the cast was very fond of and enjoyed their experience filming there. The first two episodes are very meta in the sense that they take place at a Comic-Con Convention.
  • John Cusack’s character was not in the UK version and is an original addition to the US adaptation. His character, Doctor Kevin Christie, is not your normal billionaire. He’s on the top of the economic food chain and is constantly trying to make the world better through science.
  • Sasha Lane describes her character Jessica Hyde as a feral cat.  Her character is also a key mystery for the rest of the cast in the show.
  • Rainn Wilson’s Michael Stearns plays the outcast scientist. Rainn Wilson describes the show as both grounded and outrageous at the same time.
  • Becky, played by Ashleigh Lathrop, is dying of a debilitating disease. She believes that Utopia holds the answers to her survival.
  • Ian (Dan Bryd) is on a quest for Becky’s heart. On top of that, he is the skeptic of our group of nerds.
  • On the opposite side of that, Wilson Wilson (Desmin Borges) is the conspiracy nut of the group–fondly considering himself one of the world’s topmost conspiracy theorists.
  • Javon Walton’s character Grant is a street smart boy who grew up on the streets being raised by a single alcoholic mother. According to Javon, Grant is essentially using everyone for his own gains.
  • Samantha, played by Jessica Rothe, is the natural-born leader of the group. While a bit bossy at times, she is a passionate activist who believes in doing things and not just talking about them.

If you’re curious for more details and want to see/meet the cast yourself, you can view the panel in its entirety down below.

What do you guys think? Are you excited? Be sure to leave your comments down below. You can catch Utopia when it premieres later this Fall exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.