MGM+ Greenlights ‘The Black Tapes’ With ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as a Skeptic Haunted by Cases He Can’t Explain
Horror podcasts have become one of the most reliable sources of new screen stories, and few have lingered in listeners’ imaginations like ‘The Black Tapes.‘ Built to sound like a real investigative documentary, it asked audiences to believe in a world where every strange case might have a rational explanation, until one didn’t. Now that creepy format is heading to television.
The podcast debuted in 2015 from creators Terry Miles and Paul Bae, and it has racked up more than 60 million downloads since its launch. Modeled on the true-crime style of ‘Serial,’ it follows a journalist investigating a paranormal researcher determined to debunk the supernatural. For years, fans have wondered whether that format could be turned into a successful series.
MGM+ has now given it a green light. The streamer has ordered ‘The Black Tapes’ as an eight-episode supernatural investigation drama, with ‘Game of Thrones’ alum Nikolaj Coster-Waldau attached to star.
The series is scheduled to begin production in Vancouver in January 2027. It will be available on MGM+ in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Latin America. Miles and Bae are writers and executive producers on the adaptation, working alongside John Rogers, known for ‘Leverage.’
MGM+ global head Michael Wright said in a statement published by Deadline that the series crafts a story around “our cultural fascination with the unexplained.” He also said it delivers the cinematic, classic storytelling that MGM+ audiences expect.
Coster-Waldau plays Dr. Richard Strand, a brilliant psychiatrist with a mysterious past. He teams with an obsessed, relentless scientist named Alex to debunk paranormal cases involving hauntings, possessions, disappearances and sinister legends. The most infamous of these cases are the black tapes.
In the podcast, Alex Reagan is a journalist who becomes interested in Strand’s collection of unsolved cases. Strand is an evangelical skeptic who is determined to debunk every claim of the supernatural. The series description changes Alex’s profession, which suggests that the adaptation is reworking some elements for television.
Coster-Waldau is best known as Jaime Lannister on ‘Game of Thrones,’ but he is no stranger to the genre. He made his film debut in 1994 in the Danish horror-thriller ‘Nightwatch,’ and he later starred in Andy Muschietti’s ‘Mama.’ Playing a skeptic whose own tapes keep challenging his beliefs gives him a role that suits his intensity.
The casting is also a statement of intent. A recognizable lead helps a podcast adaptation stand out in a crowded streaming market, and Coster-Waldau brings both genre credibility and wide name recognition.
This isn’t the first attempt. NBC developed a drama series adaptation during the 2018-19 cycle, written and executive produced by Bae, Miles and Mathew Arnold. That version never reached screens, which makes the MGM+ order a second chance for the story.
The podcast itself belongs to a larger fictional universe created by Pacific Northwest Stories, which includes shows like ‘Tanis’ and ‘Rabbits.’ Those series are presented as legitimate true stories, which gave the whole universe a cult following.
Along with Miles, Bae and Rogers, the executive producers include Kearie Peak of Peak Pictures and Jennifer Court of Kung Fu Monkey Productions. MGM+ Studios will produce the series. No premiere date has been announced.
For fans, the biggest question is how faithfully the show will capture the slow-burn dread of the original. The podcast’s power came from its mix of documentary realism and creeping unease. Translating that feeling to the screen will be the key challenge.
The order is part of a broader push by MGM+ into horror and mystery. The streamer is positioning itself as a home for supernatural drama, and a well-known title like this one gives it a strong calling card. With a global rollout across several regions, it also has the reach to build an audience.
The result could be a very different kind of horror series, one built on investigation rather than jump scares. If it works, it could prove that podcast stories translate to television in a satisfying way.
What are you most excited about in ‘The Black Tapes’ TV adaptation?
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