The Changeling Trailer: LaKeith Stanfield Stars In The Haunting Fairytale Series

Sometimes, you really should be careful what you wish for. Bookshelves all across the world are full of fairytales that have warned countless children about the dangers of sticking their nose in places they don't belong and messing with powers far beyond their understanding, but these stories typically contort themselves to wrap things up with a happy ending. But what about when adults are the ones in need of a little lesson of their own? The original Grimms' Fairy Tales took a much darker and more disturbing approach, melding fantasy with outright horror to get their point across. Well, welcome to the much more modern take on fairytales for grownups.

Apple TV+ has debuted our first look at "The Changeling," the eight-part series starring LaKeith Stanfield (who we previously crowned as our new genre king, which he looks dead set on confirming with this next project) that's based on author Victor LaValle's best-selling and critically acclaimed 2017 book. Set in New York City, the show follows Stanfield's Apollo Kagwa and Clark Backo as Apollo's lover and eventual wife Emmy Valentine. Upon her confrontation with a mysterious figure in a remote lagoon in Brazil and their tempting offer to grant her three wishes, Emmy returns home and builds a life with Apollo ... but with dire consequences to come.

Today's new trailer sure seems to deliver on the hype from the original novel of the same name, promising all the disturbing twists and turns from this story. Check out the footage below!

Well, if the title itself didn't tip you off about just how dark this series will likely get, presumably all the imagery steeped in fire, witches, creepy black smoke, and missing newborns did the trick. "The Changeling," described evocatively as "A horror story, a parenthood fable and a perilous odyssey through a New York City you didn't know existed," comes from showrunner and executive producer Kelly Marcel. If that name sounds familiar, that's because she's worked on the scripts for movies such as "Saving Mr. Banks," "Fifty Shades of Grey," and "Cruella," and will be directing the upcoming "Venom 3" after having also written the first two "Venom" films.

In addition to LaKeith Stanfield and Clark Backo ("Letterkenny"), the series stars Adina Porter, Samuel T. Herring, Alexis Louder, Jared Abrahamson, and Malcolm Barrett. Behind the scenes, executive producers on the production include Marcel, David Knoller, director Jonathan van Tulleken, Stanfield, and original author Victor LaValle, which suggests a high degree of fidelity to the source material — if not necessarily every single story beat, then at least in terms of tone, theme, and direction. Apple notes that the premiere episode was directed by "Queen & Slim" and "Insecure" director Melina Matsoukas, who also has experience directing several of Beyonce's music videos over the years (yes, including "Lemonade.")

The first three episodes of "The Changeling" will debut Friday, September 8, 2023, on Apple TV+, with the remaining episodes releasing on a week-to-week basis until the finale on October 13.