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Things We Saw Today: Get in Loser, We’re Going to Lovecraft Country

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The first teaser for the highly anticipated Lovecraft Country is here, and it has all the hallmarks of a Jordan Peele fright fest: a stacked cast of actors? Check. Gorgeous cinematography? Check. A pop song slowed down and made creepy? Check. Peele produced the series, which is based on Matt Ruff’s novel of the same name, alongside J.J. Abrams.

But the series is truly the vision of writer, showrunner, and executive producer Misha Green, the creator and producer behind Underground. The series follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors), who teams up with with his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) to find his missing father ((Michael Kenneth Williams).

Together, they travel across the 1950s Jim Crow South encountering the horrors of racism and prejudice along with Lovecraftian monsters. The very best horror works find a way to meld real life horror with made up monsters, so we’re excited to see what this series has to offer. And it’s always welcome to see Peele use his influence and clout to lift up other creators of color.

It also a smart bit of subversion to have people of color in front of and behind the camera for Lovecraft Country, as H.P. Lovecraft was notoriously racist. We’re excited to see where this twisty new series takes us.

Lovecraft Country premieres on HBO this August.

(image: HBO)

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Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.