'Orphan Black: Echoes' Is An Echo Of The Original Series Terror
Keeley Hawes in 'Orphan Black: Echoes'
Sophie Giraud/AMC
It's been over a decade since Orphan Black premiered in March 2013 on BBC America. Viewers may not remember that the weird little Canadian series starring the then-unknown Tatiana Maslany started out as a series about a con-artist who takes over the life of someone who happens to look like her when she sees what she thinks is an act of suicide. The word "clone" doesn't even come up until the show's fourth or fifth episode, and it taken nearly the entire season for the full premise of the series to unfold. BBC America didn't even think the show would be a hit, putting all its efforts into marketing the now-forgotten Ripper Street instead.
What a difference a decade makes. Maslany is now a household name and a Marvel A-lister, Clone Club kept Orphan Black on the air for five seasons, and with the departure of Doctor Who for Disney+ and Top Gear for Prime Video, AMC Networks is reviving Orphan Black for a new generation of clones. The new series stars an American, Krysten Ritter, who, in an ironic twist, is now an ex-Marvel superhero, having played the leading role of Jessica Jones on Netflix. However, there is still some tie-in to the "BBC" part of the network, with future Dame Keeley Hawes (The Durrells) as Ritter's co-star.
With the new trailer out, it's very clear the days of waiting several installments to get to the clones are also over.
Here’s the show’s synopsis:
Set in the near future, Orphan Black: Echoes takes a deep dive into the exploration of the scientific manipulation of human existence. It follows a group of women as they weave their way into each other's lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unraveling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a wrenching story of love and betrayal.
Ritter and Hawes will be joined by previously announced cast members Amanda Fix (Daisy Jones & The Six), who stars as Jules, a salty teen trying to find herself, and Canadian actor Caprica (Caprica), who plays Lucy’s boyfriend Jack, a soft-spoken former army medic and single father. AMC Networks also announced Rya Kihlstedt (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and James Hiroyuki Liao (Barry) will join the cast as series regulars. Reed Diamond (The Terror) will recur throughout the first season as a guest star.
Anna Fishko (Fear the Walking Dead) is the creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer of Orphan Black: Echoes with John Fawcett, the co-creator of the original series who also directed 17 episodes across all five seasons, serving as director and executive producer. David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, executive producers from Boat Rocker on the original Orphan Black series, return as executive producers on the new series. Nick Nantell and Kerry Appleyard also executive produce for Boat Rocker alongside Katie O’Connell Marsh.
Orphan Black: Echoes is expected to debut on AMC, BBC America, and AMC+ in 2024.
