We’ve been pretty bullish in recent months on the state of Amazon’s Prime Video, a streamer which is jam-packed with more bingeable gems than it tends to get credit for. They include everything from dark, critcally acclaimed crime thrillers like The Devil’s Hour to fan-favorites like Reacher and The Boys (also, is it just me, or does Reacher and The Boys sound like a great title for a show all on its own?). In a little over two weeks, meanwhile, Prime Video is set to release its next buzzy release that will have everyone talking: Swarm, from co-creators and executive producers Janine Nabers and Donald Glover.
Swarm coming to Prime Video March 17
The show, which is set to be the Opening Night TV Premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival in Austin on March 10, tells the story of an obsessed fan of a Beyonce-esque pop star who sets off on a cross-country journey.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Nabers went so far as to describe Swarm — the crew of which includes primarily people who also worked on Glover’s Atlanta — as a “sister” to that critically acclaimed FX show. Malia Obama also joined the writer’s room for the show, which Glover himself described as “a post-truth The Piano Teacher mixed with The King of Comedy.”
Regarding the cast, Swarm stars Dominique Fishback as “Dre”, while the cast will also feature guest stars Chlöe Bailey as Dre’s sister Marissa — and Damson Idris as Marissa’s boyfriend, Khalid. Additional guest stars include,Rickey Thompson, Paris Jackson, Rory Culkin, Kiersey Clemons, and Byron Bowers. Glover directed the pilot episode, while Nabers serves as showrunner for the series.
Other can’t-miss titles coming to Prime Video
Swarm, of course, isn’t the only new release to get excited about that’s coming soon from Prime Video. Two more Amazon series are also just around the corner, and they include:
Daisy Jones & The Six
If you were a fan of the bestselling 2019 novel Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid — with its story told in the form of a fake oral history about a fictional but very Fleetwood Mac-esque 70s band — you already know one of the reasons why this title is on our list.
Coming on March 3 and with a cast that includes Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough, music fans will no doubt find this show a breezy and highly enjoyable watch. And while the band at the heart of this show is a fictional one, the music actually isn’t.
The creators of the series brought in Grammy-winning songwriter Blake Mills — along with musicians like Marcus Mumford, Phoebe Bridgers, and Jackson Browne — to write and perform what will be presented as the masterpiece album from the band at the heart of the show. Aurora, with songs sung by the show’s cast, will be available across all the major streaming services (as well as on vinyl) starting March 3.
Meanwhile, from the official Prime Video synopsis for the show:
“Based on the best-selling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones & the Six is a limited musical-drama series detailing the rise and precipitous fall of a renowned rock band. In 1977, Daisy Jones & the Six were on top of the world. Fronted by two charismatic lead singers — Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) — the band had risen from obscurity to fame. And then, after a sold-out show at Chicago’s Soldier Field, they called it quits. Now, decades later, the band members finally agree to reveal the truth. This is the story of how an iconic band imploded at the height of its powers.”
The Power
As if Swarm and Daisy Jones & The Six didn’t give you enough to put on your Prime Video watch list, here’s yet another title coming in March that everyone will be talking about: The Power, which is set to debut on March 31.
With a cast that includes Toni Collette and John Leguizamo, this 10-episode series is based on Naomi Alderman’s award-winning novel, and here’s the basic plot, per Prime Video:
“The Power is our world, but for one twist of nature. Suddenly, and without warning, teenage girls develop the power to electrocute people at will. The series features a cast of remarkable characters from London to Seattle, Nigeria to Eastern Europe, as the Power evolves from a tingle in teenagers’ collarbones to a complete reversal of the power balance of the world.”
