Game of Thrones Star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to Lead MGM+ Horror Series ‘The Black Tapes’
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is heading back into the dark. The Game of Thrones star has been cast as the lead of MGM+’s new supernatural drama The Black Tapes, an eight-episode series based on the hit horror podcast of the same name, Deadline reported on 26 October 2026.
A psychiatrist who debunks the unexplained
Coster-Waldau will play Dr. Richard Strand, a brilliant psychiatrist with a mysterious past, Deadline reported. Strand teams up with scientist Alex Regan, described as obsessed and relentless, to investigate cases of hauntings, possessions, disappearances and sinister legends — the infamous black tapes themselves.
The pair set out to debunk the paranormal. But as they dig into each case, they uncover a hidden occult world behind our own and a conspiracy centuries in the making, according to the series synopsis shared by Deadline.
From a podcast with 60 million downloads
The Black Tapes began life as a horror podcast created by Terry Miles and Paul Bae, first released in 2015. Presented in the style of an investigative documentary, it built a devoted following and has since passed 60 million downloads, multiple outlets reported.
An earlier version was in development at NBC in 2018 but never reached the pilot stage, Dread Central noted. This time, the adaptation has a full series order at MGM+, the home of horror hit From.
Who is making it
John Rogers, best known for Leverage, will serve as showrunner, Deadline reported. Podcast creators Miles and Bae are writing the adaptation alongside Rogers and executive producing, with Kearie Peak and Jennifer Court also executive producing.
MGM+ global head Michael Wright praised the casting in a statement published by Deadline, saying Coster-Waldau brings a “compelling presence” to a story built around “our cultural fascination with the unexplained”, and promising something “both provocative and hugely entertaining”.
Rogers, who described himself as an early and passionate fan of the podcast, said it offers “a unique blend of truly unsettling horror and puzzle-box conspiracy mystery”, and that keeping Miles and Bae in the writers’ room gives the team a chance to deepen the mythos for long-time fans while introducing it to a new generation.
When it will be made
Production is expected to begin in Vancouver in January 2027, Bloody Disgusting reported. The series will be available on MGM+ in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Latin America. No premiere date has been announced yet.
Coster-Waldau is best known worldwide as Jaime Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones (2011–2019); his horror credits include Mama and the original Danish thriller Nightwatch.
Sources: Deadline (via ScreenRant, Bloody Disgusting, Dread Central, The Playlist), 26 October 2026.