Two notoriously visceral and experimental showrunners are producing a new limited series titled The White Darkness, after the book by the same name, for Apple TV. The series follows a seasoned Antarctic explorer with roots tracing back to the famed, record-setting polar explorer Ernest Shackleton on his perilous solo and final trek across the polar landscape.

Soo Hugh, creator of the critically acclaimed epic series Pachinko, will develop The White Darkness. The limited series will also be co-run by the writer of the Natalie Portman film Black Swan and the creator of the surrealist occultist CBS series Strange Angel Mark Heyman.

The names attached indicate immense promise for Apple TV's latest all-star series, The White Darkness, which will probably shape up to be something like Moby Dick. Instead of on the ocean, in the magical, deadly, and frigid lands of the Antarctic, and instead of contending with a killer whale, the protagonist will have to square up against his own inner world of the mind, his physical limitations, and his choice to brave the harsh and unforgiving world of a frozen landscape with no one but himself.

Here's everything we know so far and expect from this new and potentially riveting series!

The Plot

Tom Hiddleston as Thomas Sharpe
Universal Pictures

The White Darkness best-selling novel by the esteemed and talented narrator and novelist David Grann follows the journey of Henry Worsley, a retired British Army officer, a devoted husband and father, and an Antarctic explorer with a notably strong and honorable character and ties to the expedition of men who made history as Antarctic explorers with Ernest Shackleton. Worsley's ancestor was one of Shackleton's men. Worsley, in the novel, is obsessed with journeying through the Antarctic based on the heroic and legendary stories of Shackleton, who eventually succumbed to the hazards of the polar region during one of his famous expeditions.

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After a few successful expeditions tracing the paths of various explorers before him, including Shackleton's, Worsley makes the treacherous, almost mad decision to journey across the Antarctic alone for the first time in history, and what can only ensue as the man forces himself to the edge of mortality, and to the edge of life itself, is an illuminating and deadly fever dream out on the ice. Worsley, a photographer and a man with a mind for thoroughness and detail, is survived by his documentation, public communications, and broadcasts of his travels.

The Cast

thor 4 mcu heroes show up loki Cropped
Marvel Studios

So far, the only confirmed cast member is Tom Hiddleston. The actor is known as Thor's mischievous younger, adopted brother Loki and for his intensive, slick action roles and selfless character studies in projects such as The Night Manager, I Saw the Light, and Highrise.

Release Date

There is no confirmed premiere date for The White Darkness at this time. Stay tuned for updates!

The Show's Tone

Tom-Hiddleston-As-F.-Scott-Fitzgerald-In-Midnight-In-Paris
Sony Pictures Classics

It is unknown how close to the original novel the Apple limited series will adhere. Still, there are several visual and thematic tones we can expect from the finished product based on its source material. This will be a man versus nature epic, it will center around an insurmountable quest for truth, for iconicism, for success in the face of incredible and ultimately unbeatable odds, or so we think. It will feature intense struggles between opposing dichotomies inside one man. Appraisal of the original novel is clear that Worsley is a good man, an honorable man who loves his family. Yet, he is an adrenalin junky, a man inseparable from the obsessive need to brave extremes and push his body and mind to physical and environmental limits.

Perhaps we will see Hiddleston's struggle as Worsley with his sense of duty to his loved ones, responsibilities, and adventurousness, making for another great showcase of Hiddleston's range and talent. There are elements of Worsley's past that will most likely be explored as fuel for his Antarctic journey. The physicality of Hiddleston's performance and emotions will also be excessively demanding.

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We might see visuals and themes heavy on self-discovery through isolation and adrenaline while Worsley is on the ice, braving the cold, illness, accidents, loneliness, and existentialism. We will, at the very least, see Worsley meditating mercilessly on his place in the universe. Perhaps, regardless of how the character will meet his end, we will see that Worsley is ultimately successful in discovering the meaning of his life or some larger, human or cosmic truth. Perhaps it will be a triumph of the inner world of this man rather than a triumph over his surroundings.

Finally, climate change might play a significant role in the series. What better way to advocate for the preservation of the Antarctic and measures to globally reverse pollution than during a series totally reliant on the polar landscape and the effect of the incredible terror and overwhelming beauty of the natural world on human character and desire?