The first two episodes of Apple TV+'s new ten-episode psychological thriller Before are now streaming. We caught up with showrunner Sarah Thorp to discuss working with Billy Crystal in the thriller space, a stacked cast, and dream partnerships.
The project actually began with Billy Crystal and Eric Roth; when Thorp was pitched, “Would you be interested in developing a show with Billy, a psychological thriller?” the answer was a clear and immediate yes. The initial concept started as a one-liner, and they worked together to develop the pitch and pilot. Thorp shares that Crystal was “On Broadway the whole time we were in the writer’s room, so he was reading scripts in between his shows. He and Eric were both reading everything, but they were very supportive of the room finding its way.”
The show raises lots of questions as the mystery unravels. It is a limited series, but does that mean we end it all in a clean package with no chance of a second season? “I wouldn’t say it’s a nice clean package,” Thorp laughs. “It is a limited series, so it does have a beginning, middle, and end.”
It sounds like we may still have some questions at the end, or at least that there could potentially be more story to tell. “I don’t know what the future holds. I loved writing this character, I loved working with Billy, and working with Eric and this particular genre was a lot of fun. So we’ll see.”
The stacked cast also includes powerhouse Rosie Perez. Initially, Thorp shares that Perez was offered a different part, which she turned down. At that point, they had a conversation with her about the role, which she ultimately ended up playing: “We had this really long Zoom with her, and it was just so clear right away that she was going to do something amazing with this part.” Thorp adds, “The second we got off the Zoom, we all knew that it was her for sure.”
With reference points that include classics like Jacob’s Ladder, Don’t Look Now, and The Shining,
Before stars Crystal as Eli, a child psychiatrist who recently lost his wife, Lynn (Judith Light). He soon encounters a troubled young boy, Noah (Jacobi Jupe), who seems to have a haunting connection to his past. As Eli attempts to help Noah, their mysterious bond deepens, sparking haunting memories and unearthing unsettling secrets about the past. Alongside Crystal, the supernatural mystery series stars multi-Emmy and Tony Award-winner Judith Light, Jacobi Jupe, Emmy Award-nominee Rosie Perez, Tony Award-nominee Maria Dizzia and Ava Lalezarzadeh.
The ten-episode atmospheric and character-driven psychological thriller is created by Sarah Thorp (The Bounty Hunter) who also serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer. Crystal executive produces alongside Eric Roth (Killers of the Flower Moon, Dune), pilot director Adam Bernstein (Silo, Billions) and producing director Jet Wilkinson (The Chi, Truth Be Told).
The first two episodes premiered on AppleTV+ Friday, October 25,followed by new episodes every Friday through December 20.
Watch our full interview with Before showrunner Sarah Thorp below.
Angel Melanson is the Digital Editor of FANGORIA.com. When she’s not running the website, you can find her acting as Fango’s resident online creep in various hosting capacities and occasionally writing for the magazine. A true nightmare come true.
