Discovery Network released the first trailer of its upcoming anthology series “Manhunt: Unabomber.” Variety said the show, which features a scruffy Paul Bettany as Ted Kaczynski, tells the true story of the FBI manhunt for the Unibomber, who was dubbed as “the deadliest serial bomber in history.” The series will be focusing on Jim Fitzgerald, an FBI agent and criminal profiler who, along with the Unabomb Task Force, captured Kaczynski. Sam Worthington, who plays Fitzgerald, will showcase how he captured the Unabomber with the use of forensic linguistics, which was a pioneering advancement back then.
Deadline said “Manhunt: Unabomber” will run for eight episodes, which will depict how one man wages a war against society. Kaczynski, who was Harvard-educated, first taught at UC Berkeley before retreating to a survivalist lifestyle. He then mailed bombs to several bombs to universities and airlines between 1978 and 1995, killing three people and injuring nearly two dozen more. Upon his capture, he was then sentenced to life imprisonment.
Screenrant said the new series will no doubt capture true-crime fans, but it remains to be seen whether the show will be well-received or not. Sean K. Cureton for the site wrote, “It’s always tricky to make a real-life horror story like the one soon to be depicted in Manhunt: Unabomber not come off as opportunistic or exploitative but, Bettany and Worthington are always captivating performers to watch, and with any luck Discovery will manage well enough in producing an entertaining take on the real-life story that stands behind their forthcoming special event series without offending any potential viewers or raising the ire of any preemptive critics.”
The show co-stars Chris Noth, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Jane Lynch, Mark Duplass, Michael Nouri, Brian d’Arcy James , Trieste Kelly Dunn, Elizabeth Reaser, Ben Weber, Jeremy Bobb, Lynn Collins and Brian F. O’Byrne co-star. Greg Yaitanes, who serves as the show’s executive producer and showrunner, also directed the series.
