Based on the acclaimed best-selling book of the same name by Victor LaValle, “The Changeling”  is a fairytale for grown-ups. Apple TV+ today unveiled a mysterious first look at upcoming eight-part series starring and executive produced by Academy Award-nominee LaKeith Stanfield (“Atlanta,” Sorry To Bother You, Haunted Mansion).

“The Changeling” will make its global debut with the first three episodes on Friday, September 8, 2023 on Apple TV+, followed by one episode weekly through October 13.  Just in time for the Halloween season to reach full swing.

The series is described as “A horror story, a parenthood fable and a perilous odyssey through a New York City you didn’t know existed.”

In addition to Stanfield, the series stars Clark Backo, Adina Porter, Samuel T. Herring, Alexis Louder, Jared Abrahamson, and special guest star Malcolm Barrett.

“The Changeling” is written and adapted by showrunner and executive producer Kelly Marcel (Cruella, Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage). The pilot episode was directed by Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim, “Insecure”).

While the first look images and poster give nothing away, the official synopsis for LaValle’s best-selling novel reads: “When Apollo Kagwa’s father disappeared, all he left his son were strange recurring dreams and a box of books stamped with the word IMPROBABILIA. Now Apollo is a father himself—and as he and his wife, Emma, are settling into their new lives as parents, exhaustion and anxiety start to take their toll. Apollo’s old dreams return and Emma begins acting odd. Irritable and disconnected from their new baby boy, at first Emma seems to be exhibiting signs of postpartum depression, but it quickly becomes clear that her troubles go even deeper. Before Apollo can do anything to help, Emma commits a horrific act—beyond any parent’s comprehension—and vanishes, seemingly into thin air. Thus begins Apollo’s odyssey through a world he only thought he understood, to find a wife and child who are nothing like he’d imagined. His quest, which begins when he meets a mysterious stranger who claims to have information about Emma’s whereabouts, takes him to a forgotten island, a graveyard full of secrets, a forest where immigrant legends still live, and finally back to a place he thought he had lost forever.”

The series is produced by Apple Studios and Annapurna. Megan Ellison, Patrick Chu and Ali Krug are executive producers on behalf of Annapurna. Showrunner Kelly Marcel, the book’s author Victor LaValle, David Knoller, and director Jonathan van Tulleken executive produce alongside star LaKeith Stanfield. Director Matsoukas serves as executive producer through her De La Revolución Films. Sue Naegle and David Wolkis also serve as executive producer, Khaliah Neal as co-executive producer.

Clark Backo and LaKeith Stanfield in “The Changeling” premiering September 8, 2023 on Apple TV+. Photo credit: Apple

Clark Backo and LaKeith Stanfield in “The Changeling” premiering September 8, 2023 on Apple TV+. Photo credit: Apple