Yes, you read that right. Netflix is currently producing a TV series called Jigsaw, but no, it doesn’t have anything to do with one of the world’s most famous fictional serial killers. The new series is loosely based on a true story: the biggest heist ever attempted, in which seventy billion dollars in bonds went missing in downtown Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy. Spanning through 24 years, Jigsaw will center around the vengeance, scheming, loyalties, and betrayals involved in planning something this big.
The title refers to the non-linear structure the episodes will follow: on top of being a thrilling, action-packed heist drama, Jigsaw’s eight parts/episodes will use a storytelling style that jumps back and forth in time in order to build intrigue and suspense. Is the streaming giant going for another hit that mirrors La Casa de Papel (Money Heist)? It certainly seems so.
The mind behind the ambitious heist, “Leo Pap”, will be played by Giancarlo Esposito. His character is described as "whip-smart, intense and driven, with an engineer's mind and a meticulous eye for detail”. Paz Vega will play Ava Mercer, an attorney who does everything she can to protect the ones she cares about. Rufus Sewell will be Roger Salas, a manipulative salesman who is also a top-tier security expert.
Tati Gabrielle is cast as Hannah Kim, an intelligent woman who both delves in the high-stakes world of finance and flies under the radar committing low-lying crimes. Peter Mark Kendall is Stan Loomis, a blabbermouth and smuggler who is also a hopeless romantic. Rosaline Elbay plays Judy, a sarcastic demolitions specialist. Jigsaw also has Jai Courtney as Bob Goodwin, a safecracking expert who is too full of himself, and Niousha Noor plays Nazan Abassi, a tenacious FBI agent who’s determined to put the thieves behind bars at whatever cost.
Jigsaw is already filming in Brooklyn, and it was created by Eric Garcia. He previously wrote Repo Men, as well as the book that was adapted into Ridley Scott’s Matchstick Men. The first two episodes of Jigsaw are directed by José Padilha, a Brazilian filmmaker who helmed international hit Elite Squad and 2014’s RoboCop, and also created the thriller series The Mechanism for Netflix.