Jeremy Strong’ Gillian Anderson’and August Diehl Lead Star-Studded Cast in Netflix Series Adaptation of ‘The Boys From Brazil’

Netflix is continuing to gear up for its big prestige adaptation of The Boys from Brazil, the chilling Nazi-conspiracy thriller penned by Ira Levin. The new series, produced by Orchid Pictures, is currently in pre-production, and ahead of filming, we have exclusive details on the cast, crew, and production plan for the five-part reimagining led by Peter Morgan, best known for creating Netflix’s multi-Emmy-winning series, The Crown.

First announced in early 2025 with Jeremy Strong and Peter Morgan’s involvement, the series marks Morgan’s major return to Netflix after The Crown wrapped in 2023 and is part of his multi-year creative partnership.

The show is a collaboration between Morgan and the London-based companies World Productions and Orchid Pictures, the latter founded by executive producer Suzanne Mackie, who continues her long-running partnership with Morgan after their work on The Crown. Simon Heath serves as executive producer for World Productions, with Oona O Beirn and Andy Stebbing producing.

Alex Gabassi, who worked extensively on The Crown and recently directed Black Doves, is directing the entire series, five episodes each running at 60 minutes, and also executive producing.

In a statement today, Suzanne Mackie, Executive Producer and Founder of Orchid Pictures, said:

“Building on his extraordinary work with The Crown, Peter continues to examine the political and emotional forces which, through the 20th century, have moulded the world we live in today. That he does so via the intimate human stories within the sweep of history makes his storytelling powerfully relatable.

We’re thrilled to have assembled such an exceptional team, both in front of and behind the camera and to be working with the super-talented director, Alex Gabassi again for this new limited series for Netflix. We can’t wait to bring Peter Morgan’s bold reimagining of Ira Levin’s The Boys from Brazil to the screen.”

The story draws from Ira Levin’s novel, first published in 1976 and has only been adapted once before in the 1978 movie directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier.

The story begins in the long shadow of World War II and moves through the political turbulence of the 1970s, following Holocaust survivor and relentless Nazi hunter Yakov Liebermann as he devotes his life to tracking down fugitives of the Third Reich. His mission takes a darker turn when one of his young protégées, working undercover in Brazil, uncovers a chilling plot.

Liebermann soon finds himself racing to expose an unimaginable truth: Doctor Johann-Friedrich Meinhardt, a sadistic Nazi scientist he thought long dead, is not only alive but masterminding a diabolical project designed to ignite the rise of a Fourth Reich, pushing Liebermann into the most dangerous pursuit of his career.

Netflix describes the new limited series as “part historic thriller” and “part moral reckoning,” adding that the series is about “obsession, vengeance, and the terrifying persistence of hatred. It asks: when the world chooses to forget its darkest history, who will fight to keep the memory – and the justice – alive?”

As we’ve previously covered, production begins in December 2025 and is expected to continue through Summer 2026. Filming will take place across Europe, including London and Spain. Netflix’s latest announcement also adds Germany and Bulgaria to the filming itinerary.

Who’s in the cast for The Boys From Brazil?

Netflix has assembled one hell of a cast for the new series. We’ve been hearing of many high-profile names being tapped for roles, but today, the streamer finalized its main five cast members and their character names, which have been changed from the book:

As previously announced, Jeremy Strong leads the series as Yakov Liebermann, the famed Nazi hunter at the center of Ira Levin’s conspiracy thriller. He is best known for his Emmy-winning run as Kendall Roy on HBO’s Succession, as well as acclaimed performances in Netflix’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, Armageddon Time, and The Big Short.

August Diehl has previously appeared in films that have very similar themes and subject matter, such as Inglourious Basterds, A Hidden Life, The Counterfeiters, Salt, and Babylon Berlin. He’s playing the role of Johann-Friedrich Meinhardt.

Next up is Daniel Brühl, who featured in Netflix’s Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front, and will play Von Harteneck in The Boys From Brazil. Brühl also featured alongside Diehl in Inglourious Basterds and is known for his roles in the MCU as Zemo and in films like Rush and Good Bye, Lenin!

Gillian Anderson will be reteaming with Peter Morgan on this series, having previously worked together for a stint on The Crown, where she played Margaret Thatcher. Anderson has also featured in a broad swathe of other Netflix projects, including The Abandons, Scoop, Sex Education, and The Pale Blue Eye.

Shira Haas, who has worked with Netflix on Bodies and Unorthodox, will play Anna Koehler, and Lizzy Caplan, known for roles on Now You See Me, Masters of Sex, and Fleishman is in Trouble, will play Hannah Liebermann.

Photo credits: Getty Images, Pablo Arroyo Klein, Andreas Ortner, Clibelle Levi.

Are you excited for the Netflix adaptation of The Boys from Brazil? Let us know in the comments.