Hulu Rounds Up 'Culprits' for the Holiday Season
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Gemma Arterton, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Niamh Algar in 'Culprits'
Des Willie/2021 Disney
Back in 2021, when Disney+ first started commissioning U.K. originals, it put three into production, with the headliner being a 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea adaptation. The first, Wedding Season, arrived on Hulu in September 2022 and was immediately swallowed up in the backwash of post-COVID content and overshadowed by the Netflix series by the same name. Recently, the Verne adaptation, Nautilus, was announced as sold off to AMC+ after Disney+ decided it was dead in the water. As for the third, Culprits, it finally comes to Hulu with a stellar cast and an all-at-once drop of episodes for the holidays.
Though Nautilus got the most ink of the original deals, Culprits was further along from the jump, with the lead actor, director/series creator, and producers already set for the project, giving Disney+ a much clearer idea of what they were getting out of the box than the other two, which did not have either actors or directors attached. Though it was not based on an existing property, the concept was also strong — the story after the story. What happens to the crew of criminals after the heist is over? In the case of these culprits, it turns out that they become the victims, an awkward position since they can't exactly go complain to the law.
Check out the trailer.
Here's the series synopsis:
Culprits kicks off where most crime stories end: after a high-stakes heist, when the crew of elite criminals have gone their separate ways and have tried to leave their old lives behind. Past and present collide when a ruthless assassin starts targeting them one by one. Why are they being stalked, who is behind the mayhem, and will they be able to find one another in time to protect themselves and the people they love?
The cast of Culprits stars a slate of up-and-coming British talent, including Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Femme), Gemma Arterton (Funny Woman), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Sandman), Niamh Algar (Mary and George), Tara Abboud (Rebel), and Kevin Vidal (The Boys). Other co-stars include Kamel El Basha (The Insult), Ned Dennehy (Good Omens), and Suzy Eddie Izzard (Victoria and Abdul).
The series was created, executive produced, and co-directed by J Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed). Claire Oakley (Make-Up) co-directed, with Stephen Garrett (The Night Manager) co-executive producing. Culprits is a Character 7 production executive produced by Johanna Devereaux for Disney+ EMEA.
All eight episodes of Culprits' first season arrive on Friday, December 8, 2023, on Hulu.
