Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to unravel The Black Tapes in podcast-based series

The Black Tapes follows Coster-Waldau’s mysterious psychiatrist Dr. Richard Strand as he traces the origin behind the titular recordings, all of which hint at a vast conspiracy involving everything from hauntings, possessions and disappearances to sinister legends. Aiding Coster-Waldau in his quest to (it seems unsuccessfully) debunk these audio-only X-Files is “relentless scientist” Alex Reagan, who narrates the podcast in the voice of Lori Henry, although the TV version has yet to be cast. 

With hit movies like The Backrooms and former podcast-turned TV show Archive 81 showing that spooky content spawned online can make the successful transition to theaters and television, The Black Tapes (which has been in the works since 2019) looks to similarly jump media. As MGM+ head Michael Wright says of the streamer’s foray into podcast-based programming, “The Black Tapes crafts a compelling story around our cultural fascination with the unexplained, while delivering the cinematic, classic storytelling that MGM+ audiences expect. With Nikolaj’s compelling presence and the creative vision of John Rogers (Kung Fu Money Productions), Kearie Peak (Peak Pictures), and our talented production team, we’re excited to make something that is both provocative and hugely entertaining.”