Sosie Bacon Joins Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in MGM+'s The Black Tapes

Sosie Bacon has landed a lead role in "The Black Tapes," the upcoming MGM+ series based on the horror podcast of the same name, Variety reported on October 27. She will star alongside Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, whose casting was announced earlier.

The project brings together an actor with a growing horror résumé and a property that built a devoted following in audio. Here is what has been confirmed so far and what remains unknown.

The Story and the Characters

According to the official logline shared with Variety, Coster-Waldau plays Dr. Richard Strand, a brilliant psychiatrist with a mysterious past. He teams with Alex Regan, played by Bacon, described as an obsessed and relentless scientist, to debunk paranormal cases involving hauntings, possessions, disappearances and sinister legends known as the black tapes.

As the pair dig deeper, the logline says, they uncover a hidden occult world behind our own and a centuries old apocalyptic conspiracy.

Bacon's character is further described as a methodical physicist who joins the investigation as a skeptic. Her scientific training is exactly what makes it impossible for her to ignore mounting evidence that the cases involve something beyond the natural world. That setup puts the believer and doubter dynamic at the center of the show.

Production Details

The first season will run eight episodes, and production is scheduled to begin in January in Vancouver. MGM+ Studios will produce.

Terry Miles and Paul Bae, who created "The Black Tapes" podcast, will serve as writers and executive producers on the series. Kearie Peak of Peak Pictures and John Rogers and Jennifer Court of Kung Fu Monkey Productions also executive produce.

MGM+ has not announced a premiere date, and no other cast members beyond Bacon and Coster-Waldau have been confirmed.

From Podcast to Screen

"The Black Tapes" became one of the better known fiction podcasts of the last decade, presented as a documentary series in which a journalist investigates unsolved cases. Its format of slowly unfolding mysteries made it a natural candidate for television, and its creators remain closely involved in the adaptation.

Podcast adaptations have become a steady source of material for studios, which value stories that arrive with an existing audience. Whether the series keeps the podcast's documentary framing or tells the story in a more traditional style has not been disclosed.

Sosie Bacon's Recent Run

Bacon has become a familiar face in the horror genre. She starred in "Smile" and appeared in "Smile 2," and she will next be seen in "Family Movie," a horror comedy directed by and starring her parents, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, along with other members of her family.

On television, she recently wrapped filming on the second season of "Scarpetta" for Amazon. Her earlier credits include "Mare of Easttown," "Narcos: Mexico" and "13 Reasons Why." Taking on a skeptical scientist forced to confront the unexplained gives her a different angle on the genre than the haunted lead she played in "Smile."

Coster-Waldau, known to many viewers from "Game of Thrones," gives the series a recognizable second lead. Pairing two actors with established genre and drama credits suggests MGM+ sees the adaptation as an important project, though the network has not said how it fits into its wider slate.

What Comes Next

With cameras set to roll in January, more casting announcements are likely in the coming weeks. Fans of the podcast will be watching for news on how closely the series follows the original cases and whether familiar characters make the jump to the screen. Until MGM+ shares more, details such as the episode structure, the directors attached and the release window remain unconfirmed, and any reports beyond the official casting should be treated as speculation.

Follow Hollywood Magazine for the latest casting news, production updates and first looks as "The Black Tapes" moves toward production.