Kiefer Sutherland, the two-time Emmy-winning star of “24,” stated that streaming platforms like Paramount+ allow for more creative freedom in handling mature content through projects such as his upcoming “Rabbit Hole,” highlighting the evolution of television.
“The real difference for me on a show like ‘Rabbit Hole’ compared to the different iterations that television is going through — certainly from the beginning of ’24’ — is that we’re not as restricted in what kinds of stories we can tell, and we’re not restricted about how we tell them either, whether that be language or sensuality, or even violence,” the experienced actor made this statement during a panel hosted by the streaming platform at the Winter Television Critics Association press tour, held at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena”
“Those restrictions certainly with streaming have been lessened, which is funny because I don’t find myself running around as this character swearing,” he continued. “But the options there, somehow it makes you feel different.”
The upcoming eight-episode series, produced by CBS Studios, is set to premiere with two episodes on March 26th. It is created by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, who also serve as co-showrunners, writer-directors, and executive producers, along with Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Gogolak, Suzan Bymel, and Hunt Baldwin.
In “Rabbit Hole,” John Weir (played by Kiefer Sutherland), a master of deception in the corporate espionage field, gets framed for murder by powerful individuals who possess the power to control and manipulate the masses. Nothing is as it appears to be.
During the panel, John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, the creators and executive producers of the show, announced that the role was written specifically for Kiefer Sutherland after they heard that the actor was looking for a new project. They described the show as a tribute to 1970s corporate espionage programs, with Glenn Ficarra giving credit to John Requa for the original idea of a man who “manipulates reality for a living” and they both noted that this is a perfect fit for the era of disinformation and misinformation we live in.
“Rabbit Hole” also stars Charles Dance (“Game of Thrones”) as Dr. Ben Wilson, Meta Golding (“Empire”) as Hailey Winton, Enid Graham (“Mare of Easttown”) as Josephine “Jo” Madi, Jason Butler Harner (“Ozark”) as Valence, Walt Klink (“Arctic Circle”) as The Intern and Rob Yang (“Succession,” “The Menu”) as Edward Homm.
