The Crowded Room is an American psychological thriller miniseries created by Akiva Goldsman and inspired by the 1981 non-fiction novel The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes. Tom Holland, Amanda Seyfried, and Emmy Rossum lead a supporting cast that includes Sasha Lane, Will Chase, Lior Raz, Laila Robins, and Henry Eikenberry.[1]
| The Crowded Room | |
|---|---|
 Title card for the series | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Akiva Goldsman |
| Inspired by | The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes |
| Developed by | Todd Graff |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Trevor Gureckis |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Kata Wéber |
| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 38–56 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
| Release | June 9 – July 28, 2023 |
The series follows Danny Sullivan (Holland) after he was arrested for his involvement in a New York City shooting in 1979. Danny unveils his life through a series of interviews with interrogator Rya Goodwin (Seyfried), and slowly details to Rya, and the audience, his mysterious past that led him to the fateful incident. As Danny retrospectively examines his life, he reckons with his past and a few pivotal moments, ultimately leading him to uncover a life-altering revelation.
On June 9, 2023, The Crowded Room premiered with its first three episodes on Apple TV+. One each of the remaining seven episodes was released weekly through July 28, 2023. The series received negative reviews from critics.
Cast
editMain
edit- Tom Holland as Danny Sullivan, a character based on Billy Milligan
- Amanda Seyfried as Rya Goodwin
- Sasha Lane as Ariana Atkinson
- Will Chase as Marlin Reid
- Lior Raz as Yitzak Safdie
- Emmy Rossum as Candy Sullivan
Recurring
edit- Emma Laird as Annabelle Stone
- Levon Hawke as Jonny
- Stephen Barrington as Angelo
- Thomas Sadoski as Matty Dunn
- Sam Vartholomeos as Mike
- Christopher Abbott as Stan Camisa
- Jason Isaacs as Jack Lamb
- Carmen Ejogo as Patricia Richards
Guest
edit- Nuala Cleary as Eden
- Laila Robins as Susie
- Richard Blackwood as a Homeless man
- Frank Wood as Dean Martin Hughs
- Henry Eikenberry as Doug
- Cameron Douglas as a Cellmate
- Henry Zaga as Philip
- Elijah Jones as Jerome
- Daniel London as Greg
- Akiva Goldsman as Doctor
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Exodus" | Kornél Mundruczó | Akiva Goldsman | June 9, 2023 | |
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Danny Sullivan is arrested for a violent crime. Rya Goodwin probes his troubled past for answers. | |||||
| 2 | "Sanctuary" | Kornél Mundruczó | Akiva Goldsman | June 9, 2023 | |
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Rya visits the Ghost House. Danny opens up about his turbulent friendship with Ariana. | |||||
| 3 | "Murder" | Brady Corbet | Akiva Goldsman | June 9, 2023 | |
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Danny gets a gift for Ariana. Annabelle returns. Rya pieces together the events leading up to Rockefeller Center. | |||||
| 4 | "London" | Brady Corbet | Akiva Goldsman and Henrietta Ashworth & Jessica Ashworth | June 16, 2023 | |
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In the aftermath of the shooting, Danny flees the country to find his father. | |||||
| 5 | "Savior" | Kornél Mundruczó | Akiva Goldsman | June 23, 2023 | |
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Danny’s and Candy’s lives are forever changed by the arrival of an unlikely savior. | |||||
| 6 | "Rya" | Mona Fastvold | Akiva Goldsman and Suzanne Heathcote | June 30, 2023 | |
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Rya puts her career on the line to investigate a radical new theory. | |||||
| 7 | "The Crowded Room" | Alan Taylor | Akiva Goldsman and Suzanne Heathcote | July 7, 2023 | |
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Danny finally faces the truth about his crime. | |||||
| 8 | "Reunion" | Brady Corbet | Akiva Goldsman and Cortney Norris | July 14, 2023 | |
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As the trial approaches, Rya and Stan disagree over strategy. Danny struggles to sort through his past. | |||||
| 9 | "Family" | Mona Fastvold | Akiva Goldsman and Gregory Lessans | July 21, 2023 | |
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The state of New York v. Danny Sullivan. | |||||
| 10 | "Judgment" | Mona Fastvold | Akiva Goldsman & Suzanne Heathcote & Gregory Lessans | July 28, 2023 | |
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Series finale. Danny’s life hangs in the balance. | |||||
Production
editDevelopment
editIn April 2021, Akiva Goldsman was set to write The Crowded Room, a 10-episode anthology television series with the adaptation of Daniel Keyes' nonfiction novel The Minds of Billy Milligan for Apple TV+. Goldsman was also set to produce the series through his Weed Road company with Tom Holland, Alexandra Milchan through EMJAG Productions, and Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer through New Regency.[2] The season was later revealed to actually be based on Goldsman's own life with inspiration from Keyes' book. Kornél Mundruczó was hired to direct the season and serve as an executive producer as well alongside Suzanne Heathcote.[3] Writers for the season include Akiva Goldsman, Henrietta Ashworth, Jessica Ashworth, Suzanne Heathcote, Cortney Norris and Gregory Lessans.[4]
Casting
editIn April 2021, Holland was cast in the lead role, initially believed to be Billy Milligan, but later revealed to be a character named Danny Sullivan (still loosely based on Milligan).[2] Goldsman was quoted saying that Holland was "the first and only person" he approached to play Danny.[5] In February 2022, Amanda Seyfried, Emmy Rossum, Will Chase, Sasha Lane, Christopher Abbott and Emma Laird would be added to the cast.[3][6][7] In May, Jason Isaacs and Lior Raz joined the cast.[8]
Filming
editPrincipal photography on the series began on March 31, 2022, in New York City. Among the noteworthy filming locations is NBC Studios, located in historic 30 Rockefeller Plaza.[9] Filming wrapped on September 28, 2022.[10]
Release
editThe Crowded Room premiered its first three episodes on June 9, 2023, and subsequently released one episode per week until July 28.[11]
Reception
editCritical response
editThe review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 34% approval score with an average rating of 4.8/10 based on 50 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Crowded Room is furnished with undeniable talent and built on a promising premise, but the story runs in circles, resulting in an exhausting and often frustrating experience."[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 48 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[13]
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 29th Critics' Choice Awards | Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television | Tom Holland | Nominated | [14] |
References
edit- ^ Flam, Charna; Franklin, McKinley; Scorziello, Sophia (April 7, 2023). "'The Crowded Room': First Look at Tom Holland and Amanda Seyfried in Apple TV+ Limited Series (TV News Roundup)". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Lesley (April 8, 2021). "Tom Holland to Star in Apple Mental Illness Anthology From Akiva Goldsman". The Hollywood Reporter. PMRC.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (February 17, 2022). "Amanda Seyfried To Star Opposite Tom Holland In Apple Anthology Series The Crowded Room". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation.
- ^ "The Crowded Room". Writers Guild of America West. November 10, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ^ May 09, Emlyn Travis; EDT, 2023 at 01:00 PM. "'The Crowded Room' changed how Tom Holland views his mental health". EW.com. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 22, 2022). "Emmy Rossum To Play Tom Holland's Mom In Apple TV+ Anthology Series The Crowded Room". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Petski, Denise (February 22, 2022). "The Crowded Room: Sasha Lane, Christopher Abbott, Emma Laird Round Out Cast Of Apple TV+ Anthology Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 9, 2022). "Jason Isaacs & Lior Raz Join Tom Holland In The Crowded Room Apple Anthology Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Crowded Room Filming Locations (2023-)". May 12, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ Mulenga, Natasha (April 1, 2022). "Tom Holland Spotted With '70s-Style Hairstyle & Clothes Filming The Crowded Room — See Photos". Teen Vogue. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ^ Petski, Denise (April 3, 2023). "The Crowded Room: Apple TV+ Limited Series Starring Tom Holland, Amanda Seyfried & Emmy Rossum Gets Premiere Date, First-Look Photos". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ "The Crowded Room: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
- ^ "The Crowded Room: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (December 5, 2023). "'The Morning Show' & 'Succession' Lead Critics Choice Awards TV Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 6, 2023.