Netflix Sets ‘Maniac’ Premiere Date With Emma Stone and Jonah Hill

Netflix has officially announced a premiere date for Maniac, a new limited series starring Emma Stone, Justin Theroux and Jonah Hill.

The show was one of the many announcements that Netflix made during a panel at the Television Critics Associate summer press tour on Sunday. According to a report by Variety, the series will begin streaming on Sep. 21. Netflix has also posted a short teaser online.

The show follows Stone as Anny Landsberg and Hill as Owen Milgrim. They begin as total strangers who meet as part of a long-term pharmaceutical trial. They are overseen by Dr. James K. Mantleray (Theroux) who believes he can cure Owen’s possible schizophrenia and Annie’s apathy with a specialized regimen of pills.

The series was created by Patrick Somerville, who has written on some of the biggest TV hits in recent years. His last long-term job was on The Leftovers, a series that defied all expectations, even amongst fans who read the book it was initially based on.

This will be Somerville’s first original creation. He has also written at least the first episode himself, and executive produced on three episodes. Cary Joji Fukunaga has directed the entire 10 episode series.

The teaser gives very little about the show away, though it does pull viewers into the distinctive world it takes place in. It seems to follow in the same vein of some of Netflix original series, most notably Black Mirror.

According to a report by Deadline, Maniac is based on a similar series from Norway, released in 2014. It is set in a world similar to ours in almost every way, with Dr. Mantleray’s experiments performed legally through a company called Neberdine Pharmaceutical and Biotech.

Throughout the show, the focus will shift between the characters and explore the reasons they are undergoing the trial. Hill’s character, Owen, is the son of a large, wealthy socialite family from New York. Throughout his life, his schizophrenia has been disputed by various specialists.

Meanwhile, Stone’s character, Annie, is suffering more generally from an aimless lifestyle. She is preoccupied with her shattered relationships — specifically those with her mother and her sister. Dr. Matleray claims his work is not confined to mental illness, promising her he can repair a broken heart.

Sally Field is also set to assume a recurring role in the drama. Her role has not been named yet, but she appears in the pilot episode according to IMDb. Field won Oscar awards in 1980 and 1985 for her leading roles in Norma Rae and Place in the Heart, respectively.

Maniac hits Netflix on Friday, Sep. 21.