Information from ‘Collider’ –
Production is now underway in Edinburgh for a new Netflix crime series, Department Q, hailing from one of the streamer’s favorite creative partners, Scott Frank. The show is an adaptation of the novels of the same name by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen and revolves around former top-rated detective Carl Morck as he tackles a new cold case. As cameras begin rolling, Netflix also revealed the full call sheet of stars appearing on-screen, with Watchmen star Matthew Goode headlining the bunch as Morck and reuniting with his The Lookout director Frank.
Described as “brilliant but impossible,” Morck is forever changed by the inciting violent incident of Department Q, which saw the detective’s partner paralyzed and an officer killed. Wracked with guilt, he’s given command of the titular department, a new cold case sector that is little more than a PR stunt to sideline him upon his return to work. He eventually starts to tap back into his detective instincts and turn the basement office space into a well-oiled machine full of misfit officers dedicated to cracking whatever seemingly impossible cases come across their desks. The new series will bring Goode back to television after ending his stint on A Discovery of Witches after three seasons and appearing in The Offer in 2022.
Key among the outcasts joining him in Department Q is Under the Banner of Heaven star Chloe Pirrie as the prosecutor Merrit Lingard who is as ambitious as she is ruthless. Haunted by her troubled childhood and her brother’s severe brain injury, she turned over a new leaf to fight tooth and nail for justice, quickly climbing the ranks until she was at the doorstep of her biggest case yet. However, she opts instead to change things up and crosses paths with Morck, altering the course of her career. Alongside them is Alexej Manvelov as the former Syrian officer Akram Salim, who flees to Europe and becomes Morck’s oft-underestimated assistant, Kelly Macdonald as the therapist Dr. Rachel Irving, who forms a deeper connection with Morck throughout their sessions and conversations with each other, and Leah Byrne as Rose, a formerly promising police cadet forever marred by the stigma of her mental breakdown who turns to Morck for a second chance.
Rounding out the cast of Department Q are Mark Bonnar, Shirley Henderson, Jamie Sives, and Kate Dickie. Frank will serve as showrunner for the series and leads the writing team consisting of Chandni Lakhani, Stephen Greenhorn, and Colette Kane. Netflix likely has the utmost trust in Frank to deliver yet again, as he previously helmed one of the streamer’s colossal previous hits — The Queen’s Gambit. Nominated for two Oscars, his fingerprints can also be found on plenty of acclaimed films, including Stephen Spielberg‘s Minority Report, James Mangold‘s Logan, and Steven Soderbergh‘s Out of Sight. His most recent work came at AMC with the Monsieur Spade series starring Clive Owen.
Production is currently underway on Department Q, but there’s no indication of when it could hit Netflix. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the Edinburgh-based series as work gets underway.