“Chernobyl” Mini Series Comes to HBO May 6th
I remember vividly when this event happened, it was a catastrophe beyond imagination. And it is still a hotspot.
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CHERNOBYL dramatizes the 1986 nuclear accident, one of the worst human-made catastrophes in history, and tells the story of the brave men and women who made incredible sacrifices to save Europe from unimaginable disaster, all the while battling a culture of disinformation.
Debuting MONDAY, MAY 6 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), followed by other episodes subsequent Mondays at the same time, exclusively on HBO, the five-part miniseries stars Jared Harris (âThe Crownâ; EmmyÂź nominee for âMad Menâ), Stellan SkarsgĂ„rd (âMelancholia,â âGood Will Huntingâ) and Emily Watson (OscarÂź nominee for âHilary and Jackieâ and âBreaking the Wavesâ).
The miniseries will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partnersâ streaming platforms.
CHERNOBYL was written, created and executive produced by Craig Mazin (âThe Huntsman: Winterâs Warâ) and directed by Johan Renck (âBreaking Badâ); produced by Sister Pictures, The Mighty Mint and Word Games as an HBO/Sky co-production. Carolyn Strauss (EmmyÂź winner for âGame of Thronesâ) and Jane Featherstone (âBroadchurchâ) executive produce; Johan Renck and Chris Fry (âHumansâ) co-executive produce; Sanne Wohlenberg (âBlack Mirrorâ) produces.
On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, Soviet Union suffered a massive explosion that released radioactive material across Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, and as far as Scandinavia and western Europe.
Jared Harris portrays Valery Legasov, a leading Soviet nuclear physicist. As part of the response team, he is one of the first to grasp the scope of the unparalleled disaster that has occurred.
Stellan SkarsgÄrd plays Soviet Deputy Prime Minister Boris Shcherbina, who is assigned by the Kremlin to lead the government commission on Chernobyl in the hours immediately following the accident.
Emily Watson portrays Ulana Khomyuk, a Soviet nuclear physicist committed to solving the mystery of what led to the Chernobyl disaster.
The miniseries also stars: Paul Ritter (âLovesickâ) as Chernobyl deputy chief engineer Anatoly Dyatlov; Jessie Buckley (âBeastâ) as Lyudmilla Ignatenko, a Pripyat resident married to a firefighter on the first response team; Adrian Rawlins (âHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsâ) as Chernobyl chief engineer Nikolai Fomin; and Con OâNeill (âHarlotsâ) as plant director Viktor Bryukhanov.
The cast also includes: Sam Troughton (âThe Ritualâ), Adam Nagaitis (âThe Terrorâ), Barry Keoghan (âDunkirkâ), Ralph Ineson (âHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Princeâ), Mark Lewis Jones (âStar Wars: Episode VIII â The Last Jediâ), Fares Fares (HBOâs âWestworldâ) and David Dencik (âMcMafiaâ).
Writer, creator and executive producer Craig Mazin began researching the Chernobyl disaster in 2014, using a wide variety of materials, including several books and government reports from inside and outside of the Soviet Union. He spoke to nuclear scientists to learn how a reactor works, and interviewed former Soviet citizens to gain a better sense of the culture in 1986.
Mazin also read a great number of first-person accounts, which helped bring an additional layer of authenticity and humanity to the story. He explains, âWhen you’re reading the personal stories of people who were there â people who lived near the plant, people who worked at the plant, people who were sent to Chernobyl as part of the effort to clean it up â in those individual accounts, that’s really where the story came alive.â
Principal photography for CHERNOBYL took place in Lithuania and Ukraine, with a creative team including: director of photography Jakob Ihre (âThelmaâ); production designer Luke Hull (âHowards Endâ); editors, Jinx Godfrey (âThe Theory of Everythingâ) and Simon Smith (âEndeavorâ); costume designer Odile Dicks-Mireaux (âBrooklynâ); casting directors Nina Gold and Robert Sterne (both two-time EmmyÂź winners for HBOâs âGame of Thronesâ); and composer Hildur GuðnadĂłttir (âTrappedâ).
Trailer
Episodes include:
Episode 1: â1:23:45â
Debut date: MONDAY, MAY 6 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
April 26, 1986, Ukrainian SSR. Plant workers and firefighters put their lives on the line to control a catastrophic 1986 explosion at a Soviet nuclear power plant.
Written by Craig Mazin; directed by Johan Renck.
Episode 2: âPlease Remain Calmâ
Debut date: MONDAY, MAY 13 (9:00-10:05 p.m.)
With untold millions at risk after the Chernobyl explosion, nuclear physicist Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson) makes a desperate attempt to reach Valery Legasov (Jared Harris), a leading Soviet nuclear physicist, and warn him about the threat of second explosion that could devastate the continent.
Written by Craig Mazin; directed by Johan Renck.
Episode 3: âOpen Wide, O Earthâ
Debut date: MONDAY, MAY 20 (9:00-10:05 p.m.)
Lyudmilla Ignatenko (Jessie Buckley), a Pripyat resident, ignores warning about her firefighter husbandâs (Adam Nagaitis) contamination; Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) lays out a decontamination plan, complete with human risks.
Written by Craig Mazin; directed by Johan Renck.
Episode 4: âThe Happiness of All Mankindâ
Debut date: MONDAY, MAY 27 (9:00-10:05 p.m.)
Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) and Soviet Deputy Prime Minister Boris Shcherbina (Stellan SkarsgÄrd) consider using lunar rovers to remove radioactive debris, while Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson) faces government hurdles in determining the truth about the cause of the explosion.
Written by Craig Mazin; directed by Johan Renck.
Episode 5: âVichnaya Pamyatâ (finale)
Debut date: MONDAY, JUNE 3 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Valery Legasov (Jared Harris), Boris Shcherbina (Stellan SkarsgÄrd) and Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson) risk their lives and reputations to expose the truth about Chernobyl.
Written by Craig Mazin; directed by Johan Renck.