Big Apple secrets ignite in City on Fire trailer

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Want to watch New York City burn?
Want to watch New York City burn? "City on Fire" debuts May 12 on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ lit the fuse on upcoming mystery-thiller City on Fire, releasing its first trailer Tuesday. The eight-episode series takes its tale of murder, arson and family drama from the acclaimed novel of the same name by Garth Risk Hallberg.

City on Fire debuts with three episodes on Friday, May 12, on Apple TV+.

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Apple TV+ unveils trailer for mystery-thriller series City on Fire 

Apple TV+ noted not only that the New York City drama is based on Hallberg’s best-selling 2015 novel, but that it’s brought to the screen by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. They’re two driving forces behind hit series Gossip Girl and The O.C.

Interestingly, Hallberg set his novel in the gritty NYC of the 1970s, and critics likened the book to a time machine. But Apple’s adaptation takes place in 2003, with 9/11 figuring into the backstory.

And City on Fire features a large cast of good-looking young people, much like NYC itself at any given time: Wyatt Oleff, Chase Sui Wonders, Jemima Kirke, Nico Tortorella, Ashley Zukerman, Xavier Clyde, Max Milner, Alexandra Doke, Omid Abtahi, Kathleen Munroe, John Cameron Mitchell, Geoff Pierson and Beth Malone.

Here’s how the streaming service described the action:

In City on Fire, an NYU student is shot in Central Park on the Fourth of July, 2003. Samantha is alone; there are no witnesses and very little physical evidence. Her friends’ band is playing at her favorite downtown club but she leaves to meet someone, promising to return. She never does.

As the crime against Samantha is investigated, she’s revealed to be the crucial connection between a series of mysterious citywide fires, the downtown music scene, and a wealthy uptown real estate family fraying under the strain of the many secrets they keep.

Wonders stars as Samantha, and Oleff plays Charlie, a friend of Samantha’s who is struggling to cope with the death of his father on 9/11 two years earlier. After Samantha is shot, he stops at nothing to unravel the mystery of what happened.

Watch the trailer:

After the first three episodes air on May 12, one new episode will follow weekly through June 16.

Apple Studios produces City on Fire for Apple TV+. Through their production company Fake Empire, Schwartz and Savage wrote all eight episodes and serve as showrunners. Executive Producer Jesse Peretz directs four episodes. Fake Empire’s Lis Rowinski serves as co-executive producer.

Get Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is available by subscription for $6.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.

After first airing in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 299 wins and 1,279 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy Ted Lasso and Oscar Best Picture winner CODA,” the service said.

Source: Apple TV+

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