Josh Hartnett Opens Up on Giant Squid and Near Romance in Netflix's Below

Josh Hartnett is back on Netflix as Calvin, an accented Newfoundland fisherman who must defend his family from a giant squid.

The first season of Below, the mystery series built around that battle, is now streaming. Hartnett spoke about making it in a new interview with Variety published on 16 October, which focuses on environmentalism, acting against a sea creature and Calvin’s near relationship with Dr. Fonda. Variety

Mackenzie Davis plays Dr. Fonda. Her connection with Calvin stops short of romance in season one, and that almost-relationship is one of the threads Hartnett was asked to unpack. It gives the show its human anchor. The squid provides the scare.

Below was created by Jesse McKeown, who also serves as showrunner, meaning the person in day-to-day charge of a series. Jessica Rhoades is executive producer, a senior credit that covers financing, hiring and creative oversight. Charlie Heaton appears alongside Hartnett in the ensemble, as discussed in a separate Netflix Tudum interview with Hartnett titled ‘In Below, Josh Hartnett Found New Meaning Under the Sea’ published on 8 October. Netflix Tudum

The Tudum conversation and the Variety interview arrive during a busy stretch for Hartnett. He lives in England with his wife and four children, according to Variety. He played physicist Ernest Lawrence in the 2023 film Oppenheimer. He now leads the drama Verity, which topped the box office in its opening weekend.

There is already a small library of explainers for viewers who finish the season and want answers. Variety published a Below ending explainer on 9 October covering icebergs, Hartnett’s accent and Season 2. Variety A day earlier, on 8 October, it had published a review titled “‘Below’ Review: A Riveting Sea Monster Tale.”

For viewers just pressing play, this means you can watch first and read later. Start with season one on Netflix. Then realise how much work went into the accent, the creature’s behaviour and that unresolved bond between Calvin and Dr. Fonda.