Just as one successful Apple TV+ original — Ted Lasso — wraps up, another comedy series with a great premise, large ensemble cast, and potential for a lot of laughs is right around the corner. That show, the Chris Miller and Phil Lord series The Afterparty, will soon be coming to the streaming service, bringing with it a murder mystery story that is filled with just as many laughs as suspects, and a detective played by Tiffany Haddish trying to get the bottom of the whole mess of a story. If this is the first you’re hearing of The Afterparty, fear not, as we have put together a breakdown of quick things about the upcoming series we think you should know…
The Afterparty Premieres On Apple TV+ In January 2022
Everyone, at least Apple TV+ subscribers, who wants to see how the raucous murder mystery at the center of The Afterparty plays out won’t have to wait all that long, as the new comedy series will land on the streaming platform at some point in January 2022. An exact date has not yet been announced at this time, but with Apple TV+ original series largely premiering on Fridays, there’s a good chance things will kick off for the show on the 7th, 14th, 21st, or 28th of the month. Expect to hear more on the precise release date in the very near future.
The Afterparty Cast Includes Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Ben Schwartz And More
You can’t tell a murder mystery story without having a large ensemble cast of potential suspects (plus an eccentric detective), and luckily for everyone, The Afterparty delivers in that regard. When the series was first made official in late 2020, Deadline ran a story breaking down the major players who will be prominently featured on the upcoming series set at a high school reunion gone wrong. Tiffany Haddish will take on the role of Detective Danner, an investigator called in to get to the bottom of the show’s central murder case, alongside her partner Detective Culp, played by John Early.
Playing the potential suspects are Sam Richardson, as escape room designer Aniq; Zoë Chao as Zoe, a school administrator; Ben Schwartz as Yasper, Aniq’s best friend; Ike Bartinholtz steps in as Brett, a cocky former high school athlete; Ilana Glazer plays former valedictorian and class president Chelsea, Dave Franco takes on Xavier, drama-student-turned-famous-entertainer; and Jamie Demetriou portrays outcast, Walt.
The Afterparty Is A Murder Mystery Series Set During A High School Reunion
As the name suggests, The Afterparty takes place following a high school reunion, during which one of the former classmates — Dave Franco’s character if the trailer is to be believed — dies under mysterious circumstances that suggest foul play. Due to the nature of the death, Tiffany Haddish’s Detective Danner is called onto the scene to investigate the crime scene and attempt to figure out what happened and who is responsible. And you thought your high school reunion was awkward.
Each Of The Afterparty’s Eight Episodes Will Be Told From A Different Character’s Perspective
The murder mystery at the center of The Afterparty will be examined over the course of eight episodes, each of which will be told through the perspective of a different character. In a joint statement released by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the filmmaking pair explained that this setup gives them a “new and exciting way” to approach the whodunit genre:
This is one of the most surprising, original, and fun projects we have ever made. Our goal was to tell a comedic whodunit story in a new and exciting way. By giving each episode its own unique style of storytelling, we were able to make what feels like eight distinctly different but interconnected films that highlight how everyone’s personal perspective and biases shape how we see the world.
Each of these eight episodes will be told in a different style and film genre that best matches the personality of the character featured in that specific chapter.
Phil Lord And Chris Miller Originally Came Up With The Idea Behind The Afterparty In 2013
We will soon see The Afterparty play out as an eight-episode murder mystery on Apple TV+, nearly a decade after Phil Lord and Chris Miller first dreamt up the idea, which was originally supposed to be a feature-length film and not a streaming series. Back in June 2013, Variety reported that Lord and Miller were in the process of making a comedy film by the name of The Reunion that would have been released through Sony Pictures (the same company behind the pair’s hugely successful 21 Jump Street). The movie, which would have been set at a high school reunion was originally going to be both written and directed by Miller, who would eventually end up writing and directing The Afterparty.
Chris Miller touched on the history of the long-in-the-works project during a November 2020 Instagram post to mark the official start of production on The Afterparty, saying that he had been working on the idea for the past decade.
Production on The Afterparty Wrapped In February 2021
Following a three-month production, principal photography officially wrapped on The Afterparty in February 2021, an occasion Chris Miller marked with another Instagram post, only this time it was a hand-knitted clapperboard. Miller was then several steps closer to seeing a project that was started nearly a decade earlier finally come to fruition.
The Afterparty Trailer Is Full Of Laughs And Accusations Of Murder
Apple TV+ subscribers got their first look at The Afterparty and its star-studded trailer ahead of the Ted Lasso Season 2 finale in early October 2021. What the one-minute teaser lacks in details and deep dives into each of the show’s characters it more than makes up for it with a steady stream of laughs and accusations of murder. You can check out the trailer with all its finger-pointing and possible murder suspects below:
It remains to be seen if we’ll get another look at the characters and their stories before The Afterparty makes its Apple TV+ debut, but here’s to wishful thinking.
There are still a few things we don’t yet know about The Afterparty, with the most important being its release date. But while you wait, check out CinemaBlend’s 2021 fall TV schedule for everything coming out in the final months of the year.
- Take a look at our list of the best mystery movies.
