Sci-fi thriller Spiderhead lands on Netflix this week and sees Marvel's Chris Hemsworth star in the dystopian film.
The film , based on The New Yorker short story Escape from Spiderhead by George Saunders, is set in a state-of-the-art prison where inmates are administered mind-altering drugs in exchange for shorter sentences. It was directed by Joseph Kosinski - best known for his directorial debut Tron: Legacy - with a screenplay from Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.
The film was principally shot in Queensland, Australia, during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Locations for filming included the Gold Coast, as well as popular tourist destination the Whitsunday Islands.
Read more: Jack Grealish's girlfriend rumoured to star in new Netflix series
What is Spiderhead about?
In the film, the futuristic penitentiary is run by brilliant visionary Steve Abnesti. There are no bars, cells or orange jumpsuits.
In Spiderhead, the incarcerated volunteers are free to be themselves. Except that, in exchange for shorter sentences, they wear surgically attached devices that administer dosages of emotion-controlling drugs.
Two of the inmates, Jeff and Lizzy, form a connection while grappling with their pasts and trying to find a path to redemption. Abnesti’s experiments, meanwhile, start to push the limits of free will altogether.
Who is in the Spiderhead cast?
The visionary creator of the facility, Steve Abnesti, is played by Chris Hemsworth. The 38-year-old Australian actor rose to prominence playing Kim Hyde in the Australian television series Home and Away but became established among the world's highest-paid actors by landing the role of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Miles Teller stars as Jeff, one of the inmates, who begin to form a bond with another prisoner called Lizzy. The 35-year-old American actor is known for his work in the films Whiplash, War Dogs, Thank You for Your Service and Top Gun: Maverick.
Jurnee Smollett plays the other inmate, Lizzy. The 35-year-old American actress began her career as a child star, appearing on television sitcoms On Our Own and Full House, before going on to appear in HBO fantasy horror dramas True Blood and Lovecraft Country.
The film also stars Tess Haubrich (Pine Gap) as Heather, BeBe Bettencourt (Eden) as Emma and Mark Paguio (Lonesome) as Verlaine.
When is Spiderhead released on Netflix?
The film drops on Netflix on Friday, 17 June at 8am. Its run time is 1hr 47m.
