The most interesting new series of April 2024

In April, we expect a lot of book adaptations, as well as a couple of video game-based projects. In general, the month promises to be quite diverse in terms of series, so our article is ready to help you choose what might be of interest to you.

New series

«Ripley»

Genre: psychological thriller
Premiere date: April 4
Release: Netflix

In New York City in the 1960s, a wealthy man hires Tom Ripley to convince his wayward son to return home from Italy. But Tom’s acquaintance with Dickie Greenleaf becomes the first step in a life of lies, fraud, and murder.

The plot of this psychological thriller is based on the crime novel «The Talented Mr. Ripley» by Patricia Highsmith. This is not the first attempt by filmmakers to bring the novel to the screen. In 1960, a French adaptation of «Purple Noon» starring Alain Delon was released, and in 1999, Anthony Minghella’s English-language version of the same name premiered to critical acclaim and five nominations for «Oscar».

«Parasyte: The Grey»

Genre: science fiction horror
Premiere date: April 5
Release: Netflix

When parasitic creatures of extraterrestrial origin begin to take over human bodies on a global scale, a brave young girl who manages to form a bizarre coexistence with her parasite takes up the fight against the intruders.

This is a live adaptation of Hitoshi Iwaaki popular manga «Parasite», which was published in Afternoon magazine by Kodansha from 1990 to 1995.

«Sugar»

Genre: detective
Premiere date: April 5
Release: Apple TV+

After a nuclear war, all the survivors are forced to hide in underground bunkers. A young girl, Lucy, a resident of Vault 33 who has lived there all her life, leaves the bunker and embarks on a dangerous journey through post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, which is fraught with deadly dangers.

We’ve already told you about the adaptation of the RPG series of the same name from Interplay Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks wrote repeatedly, so now we are stating the only significant fact — all 8 episodes will premiere on Prime Video on April 11.

«Franklin»

Genre: biographical drama
Premiere date: April 12
Release: Apple TV+

The series tells the story of the eight years Benjamin Franklin spent in France. There, the founding father of the United States tried to convince the country’s government to support American democracy.

The story is based on the book by Stacy Schiff «A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America», published in 2005.

«The Sympathizer»

Genre: historical drama, black comedy, spy thriller
Premiere date: April 14
Release: NGOS

April 1975, Saigon is in chaos. In his villa, a general of the South Vietnamese army makes a list of those who will be allowed to board the last flights out of the country. In Los Angeles, the general and other refugees begin a new life. But no one even suspects that one of them is a secret communist agent who spies on the community and reports back to his superiors.

«The Sympathizer» is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Vietnamese American writer Viet Tat Nguyen. The book won the Pulitzer Prize in 2016, and the film adaptation was taken on by A24, which is currently on the rise. One of the main roles is played by the winner of the recent «Oscar» Robert Downey Jr.

«Under the Bridge»

Genre: crime drama
Premiere date: April 17
Release: Hulu

The plot of the crime drama «Under the Bridge» is based on the book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey, which is about the brutal murder of a Canadian teenage girl of Indian descent, Reena Virk. The murder took place on November 14, 1997, in British Columbia. Reena had been invited to a party but never returned home. As a result, six girls and one boy were charged with murder.

The main roles in the project are played by Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone, whose acting breakthrough took place in the drama «Killers of the Flower Moon» by Martin Scorsese.

«The Spiderwick Chronicles»

Genre: fantasy
Premiere date: April 19
Release: The Roku Channel

Helen Grace and her children, 15-year-old twins Jared and Simon, and their sister Mallory, move to the estate they inherited. There, Jared becomes convinced of the existence of magical creatures, but the only person who believes him is his great-aunt Lucinda. She persuades Jared to find the pages of her father’s field guide because it is the only way to protect himself from the bloodthirsty ogre Mulgarath.

This is not the first time that filmmakers have turned to the eponymous children’s fantasy books by Holly Black and Tony Dieterlizzi. In 2008, the fantasy blockbuster «The Spiderwick Chronicles» was released on the big screen, which, although it received good reviews from film critics, did not perform well at the box office given its 90 million dollar budget.

«Dead Boy Detectives»

Genre: fantasy, detective, horror
Premiere date: April 25
Release: Netflix

After their deaths, the young men Charles Rowland and Edwin Payne decide to give up the afterlife to stay on Earth and investigate crimes related to supernatural events.

The plot of the new Netflix teen series is based on the characters from the Vertigo comics created by Neil Gaiman and artists Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones III. Rowland and Payne first appeared on the pages of issue 25 of «Sandman» in April 1991.

«Knuckles»

Genre: adventure comedy action
Premiere date: April 26
Release: Paramount+

The series takes place between the events of the second and third Sonic the Hedgehog movies (the threequel is scheduled for release in December). In the story, Echidna Knuckles takes on the training of Deputy Sheriff Wade Whipple to help him learn the way of the Echidna warrior.

This spinoff of the blue mega-fast hedgehog films expands the movie franchise based on the iconic video game series by Sega. Idris Elba is returning to the role of Knuckles, or rather — to the voice of the titular character. Sonic himself is also expected to appear in the project.

«The Veil»

Genre: thriller
Premiere date: April 30
Release: Hulu

The story of a fierce confrontation between two women, one of whom has a terrible secret, and the other is trying hard to reveal it. «The Veil» — a new project by the famous English filmmaker Stephen Knight, starring the star of dystopias «The Handmaid’s Tale» Elisabeth Moss and Lebanese actress Yumna Marwan.

Continuation of the series

«Walker»

Genre: crime drama, modern western
Premiere date: April 3
Release: The CW
Season: 4

A remake of the popular television show «Walker, Texas Ranger» starring the legendary Chuck Norris, which was broadcast from 1993 to 2001. This time, the role of the tough Texas Ranger has been given to Jared Padalecki, who joined the project after many years of filming in the cult «Supernatural».

«Loot»

Genre: comedy
Premiere date: April 3
Release: Apple TV+
Season: 2

Maya Rudolph returns to the role of newly minted billionaire Molly Wells in the second season of the Apple comedy show.

«Star Trek: Discovery»

Genre: adventure science fiction
Premiere date: April 4
Release: Paramount+
Season: 5

The sixth series from the «Star Trek» universe, which tells the story of the crew of the starship «Discovery», is reaching its fifth and final season.

«Alex Rider»

Genre: spy action thriller
Premiere date: April 5
Release: Amazon Freevee
Season: 3

In early April, the third season of the spy thriller «Alex Ryder», based on the novel series of the same name by Anthony Horowitz, will also start. In the story, MI6 recruits teenager Alex Ryder for special missions.

«Beacon 23»

Genre: sci-fi psychological thriller
Premiere date: April 7
Release: МGM+
Season: 2

The story, set in the 23rd century, follows the bizarrely intertwined fates of government agent Aster and former military officer Galan. Both are trapped inside one of the many Beacons that serve as a guide for intergalactic travelers.

The plot is based on the eponymous series of short stories by Hugh Howey, known primarily for his science fiction book series «Silo», which, by the way, also received film adaptation. The second season is coming out surprisingly quickly after the first season was completed last December.

«The Big Door Prize»

Genre: comedy
Premiere date: April 24
Release: Apple TV+
Season: 2In one of the supermarkets of an ordinary American town, a machine that can predict fates suddenly appears. This interesting plot and its further development are based on the book of the same name by M. O. Walsh.

«Them»

Genre: horror anthology
Premiere date: April 25
Release: Prime Video
Season: 2

It has a sequel and a horror anthology «Them», the second season of which is subtitled «The Scare». The action will take place in Los Angeles in 1991, when the city is gripped by a series of brutal murders. Police officer Dawn Reeve is determined to stop the killer, but as she gets closer to her goal, something sinister engulfs the heroine and her entire family.