Dopesick is an American drama miniseries created by Danny Strong based on the non-fiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy. The first three episodes of the eight-episode series were released on October 13, 2021, on Hulu.[1][2]
| Dopesick | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | |
| Created by | Danny Strong |
| Based on | Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy |
| Starring |
|
| Composer | Lorne Balfe |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Cinematography | Checco Varese |
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 57–62 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Hulu |
| Release | October 13, 2021 – present |
Premise
Dopesick focuses on "the epicenter of America's struggle with Opioid addiction" across the U.S.[3]
Cast and characters
Main
- Michael Keaton as Dr. Samuel Finnix
- Peter Sarsgaard as Rick Mountcastle
- Michael Stuhlbarg as Richard Sackler
- Will Poulter as Billy Cutler
- John Hoogenakker as Randy Ramseyer
- Kaitlyn Dever as Betsy Mallum
- Rosario Dawson as Bridget Meyer
Recurring
- Jake McDorman as John Brownlee
- Ray McKinnon as Jerry Mallum
- Cleopatra Coleman as Grace Pell
- Raúl Esparza as Paul Mendelsshon
- Will Chase as Michael Friedman
- Phillipa Soo as Amber Collins
- Mare Winningham as Diane Mallum
- Lawrence Arancio as Raymond Sackler
- Jaime Ray Newman as Kathe Sackler
- Arischa Conner as Leah Turner
- Ian Unterman as Jonathan Sackler
- Brendan Patrick Connor as Howard Udell
- Andrea Frankle as Beth Sackler
- Winsome Brown as Theresa Sackler
- Rebecca Wisocky as Cynthia McCormick
- Meagen Fay as Sister Beth Davies
- Trevor Long as Rudy Giuliani
Episodes
| No. | Title [4] | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [4] | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "First Bottle" | Barry Levinson | Danny Strong | October 13, 2021 | 1DJE01 |
| 2 | "Breakthrough Pain" | Barry Levinson | Danny Strong | October 13, 2021 | 1DJE02 |
| 3 | "The 5th Vital Sign" | Michael Cuesta | Danny Strong & Beth Macy | October 13, 2021 | 1DJE03 |
| 4 | "Pseudo-Addiction" | Michael Cuesta | Jessica Mecklenburg | October 20, 2021 | 1DJE04 |
| 5 | "The Whistleblower" | Patricia Riggen | Danny Strong & Benjamin Rubin | October 27, 2021 | 1DJE05 |
Production
Development
On June 17, 2020, it was announced that Hulu had given the production a limited series order consisting of eight episodes based on the book, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy. The series was created by Danny Strong who also serves as executive producer alongside Michael Keaton, Warren Littlefield, John Goldwyn, Beth Macy, Karen Rosenfelt, and Barry Levinson who directed the limited series. Production companies involved with the series are 20th Television (replacing the initially announced Fox 21 Television Studios), John Goldwyn Productions and The Littlefield Company.[1][5][6]
Casting
Alongside the miniseries announcement, Michael Keaton was also cast in a starring role.[7] In September 2020, Peter Sarsgaard, Kaitlyn Dever, Will Poulter, and John Hoogenakker joined the main cast, with Phillipa Soo and Jake McDorman joining in recurring roles.[8][9][10][11][12] In October 2020, Rosario Dawson was cast as a series regular while Ray McKinnon was cast in a recurring role.[13][14] In November 2020, Cleopatra Coleman joined the cast in a recurring role.[15] In December 2020, Michael Stuhlbarg was cast as a series regular.[16] In January 2021, Jaime Ray Newman, Andrea Frankle and Will Chase joined the cast in recurring roles.[17] In March 2021, Rebecca Wisocky and Meagen Fay were cast in recurring capacities.[18] In April 2021, Trevor Long joined the cast of the series, in a recurring capacity.[19]
Filming
Principal photography began in December 2020 in Richmond, Virginia and Clifton Forge, Virginia and continued through May 2021.[20] North Carolina and Georgia were in contention, but Virginia was selected for its tax incentives and locations.[21]
Release
Dopesick was released on Hulu on October 13, 2021.[2] The first episode screened at the Virginia Film Festival on October 30, 2021, followed by a discussion with Danny Strong and Beth Macy.[22] Internationally, the series will premiere on the Star content hub of Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar and Star+ on November 12, 2021.[23]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 79% approval rating with an average rating of 7.1/10, based on 38 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Dopesick at times sinks under the weight of its subject matter, but strong performances from Michael Keaton and Kaitlyn Dever and an empathetic approach to the very real people impacted by the opioid crisis make for harrowing drama."[24] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 66 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[25]
Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series an A- and said, "Dopesick deftly corrals the vast addiction epidemic through intimate, deeply engrossing stories of human devastation."[26] Reviewing the series for USA Today, Kelly Lawler gave a rating of 3 out of 4 stars and described the cast as "excellent and empathetic, helping ground the series. Keaton is at his best, mastering a character who's a mess of contradictions and transformation."[27]
References
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (June 17, 2020). "Michael Keaton To Star In 'Dopesick' Hulu Limited Series From Danny Strong, John Goldwyn & Warren Littlefield; Barry Levinson To Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Cordero, Rosy (August 6, 2021). "Hulu Sets Premiere Dates For 'Dopesick', 'The Great' & 'Animaniacs'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ Schwartz, Ryan (June 17, 2020). "Michael Keaton to Star in 'Dopesick' Adaptation From Empire Co-Creator". TVLine. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "Shows A-Z - dopesick on hulu". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ Thorne, Will (June 17, 2020). "Michael Keaton to Star in Opioid Addiction Hulu Series From 'Empire' Co-Creator". Variety. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ "Hulu's Fall 2021 Original Programming Slate" (Press release). Hulu. September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (June 17, 2020). "Michael Keaton to Star in Opioid Crisis Drama 'Dopesick' at Hulu". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (September 9, 2020). "Peter Sarsgaard Joins Michael Keaton In 'Dopesick' Hulu Limited Series From Danny Strong & Warren Littlefield". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 10, 2020). "Kaitlyn Dever To Star Opposite Michael Keaton In 'Dopesick' Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (September 15, 2020). "Will Poulter Joins 'Dopesick' Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (September 22, 2020). "John Hoogenakker Joins 'Dopesick' Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (September 21, 2020). "Phillipa Soo, Jake McDorman Join 'Dopesick' Cast at Hulu (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (October 22, 2020). "Rosario Dawson Joins 'Dopesick' Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (October 28, 2020). "'Dopesick': Ray McKinnon To Recur In Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (November 11, 2020). "Cleopatra Coleman Joins 'Dopesick' Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (December 17, 2020). "Michael Stuhlbarg Joins 'Dopesick' Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Pederson, Erik (January 28, 2021). "'Dopesick': Jaime Ray Newman, Andrea Frankle & Will Chase To Recur On Hulu's Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ Petski, Denise (March 19, 2021). "'Dopesick': Rebecca Wisocky & Meagen Fay To Recur In Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
- ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (April 28, 2021). "Trevor Long To Play Young Rudy Giuliani In Hulu's 'Dopesick' (TV News Roundup)". Variety. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ "Richmond & Clifton Forge – Casting Extras for Limited Series 'Dopesick' – Dec-May – Paid". Virginia Film Office. December 1, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ^ Curran, Colleen (January 12, 2021). "'Dopesick'-a Hulu limited series with Michael Keaton-is filming in Richmond area through May". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "Dopesick". Virginia Film Festival. September 16, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ ""Dopesick" Coming Soon To Hulu/Star". What's On Disney Plus. December 13, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ^ "Dopesick: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ^ "Dopesick: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ Baldwin, Kristen (October 6, 2021). "Dopesick review: An American horror story that's all too real". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ Lawler, Kelly (October 13, 2021). "Review: Michael Keaton's opioid drama 'Dopesick' is harrowing, horrifying and a must-watch". USA Today. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
