Netflix is continuing its experimentation with storytelling formats, with a forthcoming heist-thriller encouraging viewers to watch episodes in the order of their choosing.
The streaming giant is pushing beyond its recent forays into interactive storytelling with the aptly named Jigsaw, with production currently underway.
The eight-episode run, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is designed for the first seven episodes to be watched in a non-linear fashion, prior to the finale.
If the report is accurate, the choose-your-own-progression story would lend itself to the Netflix’s drop-all business model that broke the episodic TV model of releasing one show a week.
The possibilities are quite enticing here, as we’re big fans of non-linear storytelling. However, we’ve never seen the decisions placed in the hands of the viewer rather than the director or screenwriter. With originals like Black Mirror Bandersnatch and the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s “Kimmy vs. the Reverend”, Netflix has allowed users to choose the direction of the narrative, but this is another take.
Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian), Paz Vega (Spanglish), Rufus Sewell (The Man In The High Castle) are on board to star in the series, which will be based on a true story.
Esposito will be the lead, which the THR report says will follow the old cliche of a career crook who just can’t give it up, while Vega is an attorney and Sewell plays a former thief now playing for the good guys as a security expert.
“Jigsaw will span 24 years as it tells the story of the largest heist ever attempted and the vengeance, scheming, loyalties, and betrayals that surround it. It’s loosely inspired by a real-life story in which $70 billion in bearer bonds on Wall Street were endangered by flood waters from Hurricane Sandy.”
THR
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There’s no news on when the series, currently filming in New York, will debut on Netflix, but the report says Ridley Scott is executive producing.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
