The Bey Hive will certainly be abuzz about the teaser trailer for Donald Glover’s new Prime Video series, Swarm, which follows an obsessed fan of a fictional Beyoncé-based pop star.
Originally produced under the working title Hive, the first preview makes no mystery of the project’s inspiration as a constant bee’s drone builds to the clip’s bloody crescendo. The series stars Dominique Fishback as Dre, who is shown in various, violent stages of fandom while repeatedly — and unsettlingly — asking the question, “Who is your favorite artist?” Watch the Swarm teaser trailer below.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Glover called the project a “post-truth Piano Teacher mixed with The King of Comedy,” two relatively obscure and antagonistic films from Michael Haneke and Martin Scorsese, respectively. The feature framed Fishback’s Dre as an anti-hero akin to Tony Soprano or Donald Draper, but “through the lens of a Black, modern-day woman.”
The seven-episode series from Amazon Studios was co-created by Glover, who directed the pilot, and Atlanta writer-producer Janine Nabers. The latter served as Swarm’s showrunner and also wrote four episodes. In addition to her starring role, Fishback is credited as a producer. The cast also includes Chloe Bailey of Chloe x Halle as Dre’s sister as well as Snowfall’s Damson Idris.
Malia Obama was reported to have joined the show’s writers’ room in 2021, and Glover later shared that the former president’s daughter had been “an amazingly talented person. She’s really focused, and she’s working really hard.” Glover’s brother and longtime collaborator Stephen Glover and several other members of the Atlanta staff reunited for Swarm as well.
Swarm will debut with all episodes streaming on March 17th via Prime Video. The show will have its official premiere at SXSW on March 10th.
