First Look at Netflix’s New Sci-Fi Monster Series ‘Below’ Starring Josh Hartnett and Charlie Heaton

Picture Credit: Netflix

Netflix’s highly anticipated Newfoundland-set creature feature, previously known in development as the Untitled Jesse McKeown Series, officially has a title, a release date, and a brand new batch of first-look images.

Titled Below, the new six-part limited series starring Josh Hartnett, Mackenzie Davis, and Charlie Heaton will make its global debut on Netflix on October 8, 2026.

As we previously covered when the show was in production, Below filmed on location in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, between July and October of 2025. Created and showrun by Jesse McKeown (The Umbrella Academy), the series is produced by Pacesetter Productions.

Today, courtesy of an exclusive feature from Entertainment Weekly, we finally have our first official look at the gripping supernatural thriller, along with some exciting details from the cast and crew.

Here’s everything you need to know about Below.

What is Below about?

Described as a serialized drama, mystery, and creature/monster thriller, the series takes place in a rugged, remote Canadian town that finds itself terrorized by a mysterious creature from the deep.

Here’s the official logline for the limited series:

“Calvin Penney (Josh Hartnett) is a big‑hearted but stubborn fisherman living in a small Newfoundland town, who’s still haunted by his father’s mysterious death from decades ago. When an unidentified sea creature begins terrorizing his hometown, Calvin must fight to hold his close-knit community together. Determined to keep his son Wade (Charlie Heaton) and the rest of his family safe, he teams up with a visiting marine researcher (Mackenzie Davis) to confront the creature and reveal the island’s buried secrets before it’s too late. Blending local myth, thrilling suspense, and heartfelt humor, this twisty six-part limited series dives into themes of family, community, and change – both terrifying and inevitable.”

Speaking to EW, creator Jesse McKeown revealed that building a traditional “creature feature” as a limited television series allowed them to flesh out the town’s rich, eccentric population. “I always knew I wanted to make something here in Newfoundland. Preferably something big. And something strange,” McKeown said. “Something that taps into the terrifying ruggedness and isolation of the place. But also something that captures the overwhelming warmth and the eccentric brilliance of the people here.”

For Hartnett, the series is about much more than just a monster. He told EW that the script spoke to a very relatable modern struggle: “It tapped directly into a feeling I’ve been having, that I’m sure is not unique, that the powers that determine our lives are so far removed from us as people that it’s hard to even imagine being able to affect meaningful change for ourselves and the people we love.” He added that seeing the band of heroes come together to fight these terrifying powers offers “a very satisfying level of wish fulfillment.”

Who is in the cast of Below?

The limited series boasts a massive, talented ensemble cast. Fans of Netflix’s Stranger Things and Lockwood & Co. will recognize a few familiar faces!

• Josh Hartnett (Penny Dreadful, Trap) as Calvin Penney
• Mackenzie Davis (Black Mirror, Terminator: Dark Fate) as Fonda
• Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things) as Wade
• Joshua Close (Fargo) as Officer Jaxon Noseworthy
• Natasha Henstridge (Species) as Jan
• Rohan Campbell (The Hardy Boys, Halloween Ends) as Jay Penney
• Ruby Stokes (Lockwood & Co., Bridgerton) as Mary
• Willow Kean as Ruth
• Kaleb Horn as Noah
• Mary Walsh (This Hour Has 22 Minutes)

Who is behind the series?

Jesse McKeown serves as the creator, showrunner, and executive producer.

Directing duties for the six 60-minute episodes are split between Jamie Childs (The Sandman), Stephen Dunn (Queer as Folk), and Helen Shaver (Station Eleven).

Writing alongside McKeown are Perry Chafe, Karen Walton, and Natty Zavitz.

Executive producers include Jamie Childs, Sharon Hall, Josh Hartnett, Chris Hatcher, Jessica Rhoades (for Pacesetter Productions), and Louise Sutton.

When will Below be released on Netflix?

As confirmed by Entertainment Weekly, all six episodes of Below will drop globally on Netflix on Thursday, October 8, 2026.

With a spooky atmosphere, an incredible cast, and a terrifying sea creature lurking in the depths, Below looks like the perfect binge-watch to kick off your Halloween viewing this October!

Are you adding Below to your Netflix watchlist? Let us know in the comments down below.