‘A Murder at the End of the World’: A Look at Brit Marling’s New Murder Mystery Series

There’s a new murder mystery in town, as FX and Hulu are debuting A Murder at the End of the World in just a few short months. The new series is from the brilliant minds of Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, who are best known for their work on Netflix’s The OA.

With its premiere set for November on Hulu, here’s everything we know so far about A Murder at the End of the World.

A Murder at the End of the World Is a Mystery-Thriller

Before A Murder at the End of the World became the show’s official title, it was known as “Retreat.” The new series is expected to become one of Hulu’s popular mystery thrillers as it joins the lineup of shows like Only Murders in the Building and Mare of Easttown.

The Team Behind the Series

A Murder at the End of the World is created by Brit Marling alongside Zal Batmanglij, who are both each other’s longtime creative partners. They’re known for their collaboration on The OA series on Netflix, The Sound of My Voice, and The East.

The OA

For those unfamiliar with The OA, the series follows a young, blind woman named Prairie Johnson who reappears in her hometown after having disappeared for seven years. Prairie surprises everyone when she miraculously regains her sight. As her abilities become more prominent, it catches her family’s and the authorities’ attention. Needless to say, Prairie’s family and the authorities are baffled by the circumstances related to her disappearance and the mysterious journey she has taken.

*Editorial Note* It’s a truly wonderful series that I can’t recommend enough.

A Murder at the End of the World

But let’s get back to the new series, A Murder at the End of the World. Marling and Batmanglij are also the show’s executive producers, along with Andrea Sperling, Melanie Marnich, and Nicki Paluga.

Marling and Rebecca Roanhorse also co-wrote the seven-episode series with the production under FX Productions. FX Networks chairman John Landgraf has also commented on the show.

Landgraf said, “We absolutely loved what Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij came to us with, which is radical reconceptualization of whodunit with a really, really original set of characters. Particularly a really strong and original young woman at the center of the story, whose backstory and present-day story form a strong emotional core. There obviously is a mystery unfold too. It’s a distinctive and unique show that is not that easy to produce.”

A Murder at the End of the World Plot

FX released the official synopsis for A Murder at the End of the World.

“A Murder at the End of the World is a mystery series with a new kind of detective at the helm – a Gen Z amateur sleuth and tech-savvy hacker named “Darby Hart” (Emma Corrin) Darby and eight other guests are invited by a reclusive billionaire (Clive Owen) to participate in a retreat at a remote and dazzling location. When one of the other guests is found dead, Darby must use all of her skills to prove it was murder against a tide of competing interests and before the killer takes another life.”

FX also released a short teaser of the upcoming show, introducing several of the key characters. While there’s not much given away in the clip, it sets the show’s disturbing tone. It’s expected of programs in the mystery thriller genre. The characters are shown having different reactions to the mystery that is in front of them.

Star Emma Corrin also talked about the upcoming series, saying, “Brit and Zal are almost from a different dimension, the way their brains work.”

“They’re so ahead of their time, the stories that they come up with. And it was an amazing shoot. We went from Iceland to a studio in New Jersey, and then to Utah. Brit is really special, and she’s in the series as well, so it was fun to act with her and be directed by her,” she continues.

A Murder at the End of the World Cast

A Murder at the End of the World stars Emma Corrin, who is known for their performances in The Crown, My Policeman, and Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Corrin’s other projects include Nosferatu and the upcoming Deadpool 3. 

“Hands up, I’m not a Marvel person,” said Corrin. “I’ve watched Spider-Man and Black Panther, I was like, ‘Look, you’re gonna have to debrief me into this. It’s such an intricate world. There’s so much to it. It’s an absolute mind f***.”

Harris Dickinson, who appeared in Triangle of Sadness, joins the cast as Bill. Clive Owen also joins the cast and previously appeared in American Crime Story Season 3 as US President Bill Clinton. Owen will play the billionaire named Andy.

Alice Braga of The Suicide Squad and the show’s co-creator Brit Marling are also part of the cast. Marling plays a character named Lee, while Braga plays Sian.

The other actors joining the show include Joan Chen as Lu Mei, Raul Esparza as David, Jermaine Fowler as Martin, Ryan J. Haddad as Oliver, Pegah Ferydoni as Ziba, Javed Khan as Rohan, Louis Cancelmi as Todd, Edoardo Ballerini as Ray, Britian Seibert as Eva, Christopher Gurr as Marius, Kellan Tetlow as Zoomer, Daniel Olson as Tomas, Lauren Yaffe as Hotel Staff. and Neal Huff.

A Murder at the End of the World Release Date

The upcoming A Murder at the End of the World arrives on Hulu on November 14. The show was initially set to premiere on August 29. However, it was pushed back due to the ongoing Hollywood strikes.

The strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA put a halt to most productions. The decision to move its release date to November was in response to the strikes.

Writers and actors in Hollywood are picketing in front of the major studios, networks, and streaming platforms. The unions are seeking better deals in terms of residual pay and protections from AI. This also means the actors and writers cannot promote the upcoming show to the press.

The show plans to release the first two episodes on the day of the premiere. The rest of the new episodes will then be released on Tuesdays every week until its finale on December 19. The show will also premiere on Disney+ in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Gibraltar, the Balkans, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Because it’s a limited series, it’s unlikely that there would be a second season. But never say never. After all, Nine Perfect Strangers was a limited series for Hulu, and after the massive success of the first season, the streaming giant greenlit a second season.