John Cusack is set to star opposite Sasha Lane and Rainn Wilson in Utopia, Amazon’s straight-to-series adaptation of the British drama, written by Gone Girl author and screenwriter Gillian Flynn.

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Utopia follows a group of young adults who meet online that are mercilessly hunted by a shadowy deep state organization after they come into possession of a near-mythical cult underground graphic novel. Within the comic’s pages, they discover the conspiracy theories that may actually be real and are forced into the dangerous, unique and ironic position of saving the world.

Cusack will play Dr. Kevin Christie. Charismatic and media-savvy, with a brilliant biotech mind and a philanthropic outlook. Christie altruistically wants to change the world through science. Child actor and Javon “Wanna” Walton also stars.

The Amazon adaptation is a co-production between Endemol Shine North America/Kudos and Amazon Studios. Executive producing alongside Flynn are Jessica Rhoades, Sharon Hall, Karen Wilson and Dennis Kelly. Sharon Levy, President, Unscripted & Scripted Television, Endemol Shine North America, oversees production for Endemol Shine.

Utopia marks Cusack’s first starring role in a TV series. The veteran actor, whose work spans films Say Anything, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity and Distorted among many others, recently starred in modern western, Never Grow Old with Emile Hirsch and was seen in mystery thriller River Runs Red alongside Taye Diggs and George Lopez. Cusack is repped by ICM Partners and Ziffren Brittenham.