Katherine Langford’s teenager sparks a murder mystery from beyond the grave in the gripping, ominous first teaser trailer for 13 Reasons Why, the Netflix original series due to premiere later this month.
Originally pitched as a full-blown feature film with Selena Gomez attached to star, 13 Reasons Why has been repackaged as a 13-part drama series. Gomez remains involved as an executive producer, and helped adapt Jay Asher’s novel series for the small screen with co-showrunner Brian Yorkey. As if that wasn’t enough to pique our curiosity, Netflix has confirmed that Spotlight director Tom McCarthy helmed the opening two episodes of 13 Reasons Why, which has Dylan Minnette’s Clay investigating the suicide (?) of his former classmate and crush, Hannah Baker (Langford).
Also starring Brandon Flynn, Christian Navarro, Alisha Boe, Michelle Selene Ang and Justin Prentice, the potential success of 13 Reasons Why will no doubt hinge on its ability to reel in viewers with a genuinely compelling mystery. The trailer above may err on the side of melodrama, but the core premise of Asher’s teen novel series is enough to leave us feeling cautiously optimistic going into the show’s premiere.
Here’s the official synopsis, per Netflix:
13 Reasons Why is a new series from Netflix adapted from the best-selling books by Jay Asher. It follows teenager Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) as he returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker (newcomer Katherine Langford) —his classmate and crush—who tragically committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Will Clay be one of them? If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, 13 Reasons Why weaves an intricate and heart wrenching story of teenage life that will deeply affect viewers.
Fittingly, the inaugural season of 13 Reasons Why will be comprised of 13 episodes in total, and they’ll all premiere via Netflix on March 31st. Diana Son and Brian Yorkey will serve as co-showrunners.
