Apple TV's 8-Part 'Prison Break Meets The Night Manager' Thriller Is Just 2 Months Away

Published Nov 3, 2026, 8:00 AM EST

Liz Hersey is an Editor and Critic for ScreenRant's TV team, editing, reviewing, writing, and creating content about the iconic shows you love to watch. She began her editing career at ScreenRant in 2019, shortly after joining the site as a Writer that same year.

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Thriller fans should buckle up because Apple TV is starting 2027 off with a bang. When the streaming platform first launched in 2019 (back when it was known as Apple TV+), it didn't make much of a splash. Though flagship series like The Morning Show and See boasted starry casts, they received tepid reviews, and without a back catalog to speak of, Apple TV initially seemed like an easy subscriptionto pass on.

However, with such a wealthy parent company behind it, Apple TV could take its time finding its footing. Slowly but surely, the platform became more known for its top-tier programming, from Emmy-winning comedies like Widow's Bay, The Studio, and Ted Lasso to groundbreaking sci-fi shows like For All Mankind, Severance, and Pluribus. While other streamers prioritize feeding the almighty algorithm, Apple TV has become the new HBO in its commitment to producing innovative, risk-taking television.

Though Apple TV's sci-fi shows are its most popular, the platform is also upping its thriller game. In just four years, it's released six seasons of the popular spy thriller series Slow Horses, while miniseries such as Presumed Innocent, Disclaimer, and Lucky became hits just as famous for their water-cooler plot twists as their A-list stars. In January 2027, the streamer will premiere The Wanted Man, a "Prison Break meets The Night Manager" thriller series with one of the most phenomenal casts of any Apple TV show to date.

The Wanted Man Has A Devastatingly Good Cast

Apple TV

Created by George Kay, the writer behind Netflix's best thriller series Lupin and HBO's buzzy new legal thriller War​​​​​​, The Wanted Man premieres on Apple TV on January 6, 2027. The series stars Hugh Laurie as Felix Carmichael, Britain's most powerful crime boss, who is incarcerated after a shocking betrayal. Eager to take revenge and reclaim his empire, Felix devises an elaborate prison-break plan.

Laurie isn't the only veteran actor in the Wanted Man cast, as he's joined by Thandiwe Newton, who won an Emmy for her work in Westworld, and Stephen Dillane, who delivered one of Game of Thrones' most underrated performances as Stannis Baratheon.

The Wanted Man Cast
Actor	Character	Other Notable Work
Hugh Laurie	Felix Carmichael	House, The Night Manager
Thandiwe Newton	Francesca Carmichael	Westworld, Wednesday
Fionn Whitehead	Scotty Walsh	Dunkirk, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Gina McKee	Hannah Carmichael	The Borgias, Notting Hill
Hazel Doupe	Jenny Carmichael	Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale, Say Nothing
Eliott Heffernan	Campbell Strang	Blitz, The Plague
Stephen Dillane	John Carmichael	Game of Thrones, Kaos

The upcoming Apple TV series also has an incredible younger cast, including Dunkirk star Fionn Whitehead and Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale breakout Hazel Doupe. British character actress Gina McKee (The Borgias) and child actor Elliott Heffernan (Blitz) round out The Wanted Man's main cast. While not a sprawling ensemble, it's an excellent mix of talented British performers at different stages in their careers.

The Wanted Man Will Please Fans Of Prison Break & The Night Manager

Based on its premise, The Wanted Man promises to take the high-octane, master-escape-plan thrills of Prison Break and give them a British, elite-crime polish à la The Night Manager. Even more exciting, the new show will feature Hugh Laurie playing another underworld kingpin. The key difference, however, is that unlike Laurie's acclaimed role as arms dealer Richard Roper in The Night Manager, Felix Carmichael is the underdogas the titular "wanted man".

Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

By swapping The Night Manager's glamour for Prison Break's grit, The Wanted Man can't hide behind vibes. It has to be smart, psychological, and twisty, but it can't be too far-fetched because, as Prison Break fans know, that's how the whole story can fall apart. Fortunately, with a masterful storyteller in George Kay and a talented, Laurie-led cast, 2027 may get its best thriller very early on.

Cast

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  Hugh Laurie

  Felix Carmichael

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  Nazir

• 

  Gilbert Kyem Jnr

  Jayden Williams

• Emily Patrick

  Marissa