The award-winning Dopesick gave many of us an insight into the opioid epidemic and the real-life, harrowing situations at the heart of it.

Now, Netflix is covering the drug crisis in its own way in a new drama, Painkiller.

Starring Matthew Broderick, the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off actor shared that playing Purdue Pharma boss Richard Sackler in Painkiller would be an unusual role for him. 

“There was something sort of attractive about that,” he admitted. Because, as well as having a mother who went through the “absolute agony” of taking opioids, he acknowledged just how “complicated” a story it can be to tell. 

Watch the trailer for Painkiller below:

While Broderick leads the series as Sackler, the rest of the cast of Painkiller is full of familiar faces.

With that, here’s everything we know about the new Netflix series:

What is the plot of Painkiller?

Based on Barry Meier’s groundbreaking book, Pain Killer: An Empire Of Deceit And The Origin Of America’s Opioid Epidemic, the series “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”. 

As per the official synopsis, it promises to offer up “an examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans”.

Who stars in Painkiller?

As well as Broderick – who will be starring as Sackler, scion of the billionaire Sackler family and senior executive at Purdue Pharma, Uzo Aduba (Orange Is The New Black) will also be leading the cast as Edie, the investigator leading the case against Purdue.

West Duchovny (Linoleum, The Magicians) will play Shannon, a new recruit to the Purdue sales team.

Dina Shihabi (Archive 81, Ramy) will appear as Britt, a veteran sales rep for Purdue. John Rothman (One Mississippi, Ghostbusters) will also play Mortimer Sackler, co-owner of Purdue Pharma. 

Also joining the cast is Sam Anderson as Raymond Sackler, Taylor Kitsch as Glen Kryger, Carolina Bartczak as Lily Kryger, Tyler Ritter as John Brownlee, John Ales as Dr Gregory Fitzgibbons, Ron Lea as Bill Havens, Ana Cruz Kayne as Brianna Ortiz and Jack Mulhern as Tyler Kryger.

What are people saying about Painkiller?

Speaking about his role in Painkiller, Broderick told The Hollywood Reporter: “I had a mom who had cancer and was on those pills. She was in absolute agony, and they helped her a great deal. So I’ve seen both ends of it. I know how bad they are. And I know what a miracle [they can be].

“It’s a complicated story. Because obviously they then marketed it for people who didn’t need them and all that, and it’s horrible. But I have experience from both sides.” 

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.” 

When can we watch Painkiller?

The limited series will be released via Netflix on 10 August.

Will you be watching?

Images: Netflix