Apple TV+ has released a first look image for its upcoming crime drama Smoke, featuring Taron Egerton in the lead role. Created by acclaimed writer Dennis Lehane (Black Bird), the series focuses on the hunt for serial arsonists and is set for a June premiere.
Here’s the Lowdown: Smoke pairs Taron Egerton as arson investigator Dave Gudsen with Jurnee Smollett as police detective Michelle Calderone. Together, they track two serial arsonists. The nine-episode series, inspired by true events documented in the “Firebug” podcast, will debut globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, June 27, 2025, with its first two episodes. New episodes will follow weekly until August 8. The cast also includes Rafe Spall, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Anna Chlumsky, Greg Kinnear, and John Leguizamo.
What This Means Now: This marks a significant new series for Apple TV+, reuniting the creative forces behind their previous hit Black Bird (Lehane and Egerton). The show brings together a high-profile cast for a tense crime story, indicating Apple’s continued push into the genre with top-tier talent both in front of and behind the camera.
The Bigger Picture: Drawing from a real-life story via the “Firebug” podcast (hosted by Kary Antholis, who executive produces here), Smoke taps into the public fascination with true crime while presenting a fictionalized narrative. The involvement of Dennis Lehane, known for his gritty crime writing, and directors like Kari Skogland (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) points to a focus on character and atmosphere within the arson investigation framework.
