Renée Zellweger is playing a dangerous game in the teaser trailer for the new series What/If. The latest original series from Netflix was announced last summer, with the Academy Award winner being the star attraction. But in addition to having her on board, the series will also appeal to those currently caught up in the recent wave of anthology series, as Netflix’s latest offering will function a little like FX’s American Horror Story or Fargo, in that it will focus on a different morality tale each season.
Season 1 will be tasked with setting up the premise of the series, as it explores “the power of a single fateful decision to change the trajectory of an entire life.” The series hails from Revenge creator Mike Kelley, who will serve as showrunner here, too. Though that show's’ exploration of morality had something of an Alexander Dumas vibe to it, this new series looks as though it has more in common with the not-quite-as-scandalous-as-it-first-seemed film Indecent Proposal.
The teaser trailer doesn’t have any actual footage from the series, but with its glossy production values and song choice it certainly looks as though What/If would have been right at home on ABC in the fall of 2019. Perhaps that way of thinking will change when audiences have a chance to see what it is the show’s really going for, but for now, interested viewers will have to settle for a highly polished advertisement that ends with Zellweger gleefully positioning herself as the master of the twisted game she’s playing. Check out the teaser trailer and a brief synopsis below:
“Neo-noir social thriller WHAT/IF explores the ripple effects of what happens when acceptable people start doing unacceptable things. The first season of the Netflix original series focuses on a mysterious woman's lucrative, but dubious offer to a cash-strapped pair of San Francisco newlyweds.”
In addition to Zellweger, the series also stars Jane Levy (Castle Rock), Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), Dave Annable (Yellowstone), Blake Jenner (American Animals), and Louis Herthum (Westworld). At first glance the teaser and the show’s premise seem to convey two very different kinds of shows, with one being considerably darker and creepier than the other. With any luck, Netflix will have a more in-depth trailer out soon enough, so What/If can better describe what it’s all about.
What/If will stream exclusively on Netflix beginning Friday, May 24.