When Hulu drama Dopesick debuted on the small screen in 2021, it laid bare the ugly truths of America's years-long opioid epidemic.
Two years on and Netflix’s own take on the dreadful causes and effects of the opioid crisis is here. Painkiller is based on Barry Meier’s book, Pain Killer: An Empire Of Deceit And The Origin Of America’s Opioid Epidemic and will examine the role of the Sackler family and their company Purdue Pharma, the creator of OxyContin, in the crisis.
Executive producer Eric Newman said of the series: ‘A tragedy decades in the making, the opioid crisis has become one of the most devastating public health crises of our time. Unlike other drug epidemics, born from underground manufacturing and covert smuggling, this epidemic began by prescription – dispensed by doctors, approved by government regulators, and promoted by a family-owned pharmaceutical giant that made billions while betraying the trust of patients and the public.’
This is everything we know so far about Netflix's Painkiller.
What is Painkiller about?
According to Netflix, Painkiller ‘explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin’.
The series will be ‘an examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans’.
Who stars in Painkiller?
Matthew Broderick will star as Richard Sackler, scion of the billionaire Sackler family and senior executive at Purdue Pharma and Uzo Aduba (Orange Is The New Black) will play Edie, the investigator leading the case against Purdue.
John Rothman (One Mississippi, Ghostbusters) will play Mortimer Sackler, co-owner of Purdue Pharma, while West Duchovny (Linoleum, The Magicians) will play Shannon, a new recruit to the Purdue sales team and Dina Shihabi (Archive 81, Ramy) will appear as Britt, a veteran sales rep for Purdue.
When can we watch Painkiller?
Painkiller will be released on Netflix on August 10.
