Netflix has been making headlines recently for its string of bright, cheerful romantic comedies. With its upcoming series Maniac, however, the streaming platform is shifting back into much darker content. The first teaser for the series was released at the Television Critics Association's annual Summer press tour, followed up by a full-length trailer [1] a week later.

The reactions to Maniac haven't just focussed on the buzzy concept [2], but on the high-profile cast [3]. The dark comedy, which is based on a Norwegian series, is about two seriously messed-up people who get wrapped up with a creepy pharmaceutical trial. According to the drug's inventor, it can fix any mental or emotional issue without side effects — but there wouldn't be much of a story if that was entirely true, now would there?

The cast is packed with Hollywood A-listers and fresh faces alike. Here's a roundup of the biggest names who will be in the series, beginning Sept. 21.

Emma Stone

Oscar-winner Emma Stone [4] has been pretty busy [5] since taking home her Academy Award for La La Land, and this marks her first series regular role on a TV series. Stone plays Annie Landsburg, a young woman struggling to repair relationships with her mother and sister and constantly dwelling on these negative relationships.

Jonah Hill

Although Jonah Hill [6]'s career so far has definitely been heavy on the comedy, he, like his costar Emma Stone [7], is new to being a TV lead. His character, Owen Milgrim, is a "spare" son of an uberwealthy New York family whose frustration with a schizophrenia diagnosis leads him to this unusual medical trial.

Sonoya Mizuno

It's probably fair to say that American audiences had no idea who Sonoya Mizuno was a few months ago. But ever since Crazy Rich Asians became a worldwide phenomenon, her face has been everywhere. Mizuno played heiress Araminta Lee — the woman at the centre of the elaborate wedding scene [8] — in the romantic comedy. Although she's a fresh face to American audiences, Mizuno is an accomplished ballerina and has had several smaller roles in popular films, including a turn as Emma Stone [9]'s roommate in La La Land. Here, she reunites with Stone, this time playing Dr. Fujita, the possibly sympathetic right-hand woman to the drug trial's chief scientist.

Sally Field

You'd have to live under a rock to not recognise Sally Field [10]. One of Hollywood's longtime leading ladies, she's taking on the role of Dr. Greta Mantleray. Not much info has been revealed about her character in the promotional materials other than that she's the boss of the "mad scientists," but given that she shares a last name with Justin Theroux's character, it seems safe to say that she's more pivotal to the story than she appears. Field is no stranger to TV series, from her star-making role on Gidget to the mid-2000s drama Brothers and Sisters. Marvel fans, meanwhile, know her as a previous iteration of Spider-Man's [11] Aunt May.

Justin Theroux

The chameleon-like actor [12] steps into the role of antagonist as Dr. James K. Mantleray, a vaguely creepy scientist who seems to be covering up the truth behind the pharmaceutical trial and the drug's real side effects and purpose. Theroux [13] has had a pretty varied career, from slapstick comedy to TV thrillers and everything in between, although Maniac appears to be his first real villainous role.

Jemima Kirke

The British-American actress, best known as Jessa on the HBO series Girls, is one of the mysteries that Netflix hasn't answered in its Maniac promos. She's confirmed to appear in the series, but nothing else is known about her character, not even a name. Kirke has explored several avenues in her career, appearing in indie films and music videos alongside her television roles.

Josh Pais

Josh Pais is definitely one of those "oh, that guy!" actors. While he's not a household name, he's been in a ton of movies and TV shows. His Maniac character, Andy, is something of a mystery as well, like so many other plot points to what will probably be a twisty, spoilery series.