Charlie Hunnam and Emilia Clarke Lead Prime Video’s New Crime Thriller as Dangerous Heist Unravels Decades of Secrets

Charlie Hunnam is returning to the criminal underworld in a major new Prime Video thriller, joining Emilia Clarke and Luke Evans in a gritty eight-episode series where family loyalty, betrayal and a disastrous robbery threaten to destroy everything.

The streaming platform has unveiled the first teaser for Criminal, an adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novels by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

The footage introduces a violent world of career criminals, fractured friendships and buried secrets, building towards a dramatic bank confrontation and an explosive finale.

With its ensemble cast and interconnected storylines, the series is set to arrive in January 2027.

Charlie Hunnam Plays a Criminal Desperate to Escape His Past

At the centre of the story is Leo Patterson, played by Hunnam, a cautious criminal who has spent much of his life trying to avoid the mistakes that destroyed others around him.

His longtime friend Ricky Lawless, portrayed by Gus Halper, sees their shared world differently.

While Leo dreams of escaping crime, Ricky is determined to follow the notorious example set by his father.

Their complicated friendship becomes increasingly unstable when Leo crosses paths with Greta, a reckless car thief played by Adria Arjona.

Meanwhile, Emilia Clarke stars as Mallory, Ricky’s girlfriend, who fears that his increasingly dangerous decisions will eventually have devastating consequences.

As the characters become involved in an ambitious heist, tensions rise and secrets connected to their childhood begin to emerge.

What initially appears to be an opportunity for financial freedom quickly becomes a confrontation with their shared history.

Luke Evans Brings Another Dangerous Family Story

The drama expands with the arrival of Tracy Lawless, Ricky’s older brother, played by Luke Evans.

Two decades earlier, Tracy chose military service rather than imprisonment, leaving his family’s criminal connections behind.

His decision allowed him to build a different life, but his younger brother’s troubles threaten to drag him back into the world he abandoned.

Tracy’s return introduces a conflict between personal freedom and family responsibility.

As Ricky becomes entangled with increasingly dangerous figures, Tracy must decide how far he is willing to go to protect him.

The storyline adds another layer to the series’ exploration of loyalty and the consequences of choices made years earlier.

A Star-Studded Cast With Interconnected Stories

Alongside Hunnam, Clarke and Evans, Criminal features an extensive ensemble.

Richard Jenkins portrays Ivan, while Kadeem Hardison plays Gnarly and John Hawkes appears as Sebastian Hyde.

The cast also includes Logan Browning, Dominic Burgess, Michael Xavier, Katie Stevens, Mac Brandt, Erin Way and Mustafa Speaks.

Additional performers include Garrett Hedlund, Patrick J. Adams, Michael Mando, Chris Diamantopoulos and John Pyper-Ferguson.

Rather than following a single protagonist, the series brings together multiple characters whose histories and decisions gradually intersect.

That structure reflects the original comics, which explore different corners of the same criminal world through overlapping narratives.

Prime Video Reveals Two-Part January Release

The eight-episode first season will be divided into two four-episode instalments.

Criminal: Part 1 – Coward premieres on January 13, 2027.

This opening story centres on Leo and Ricky, whose lives remain shaped by a childhood incident involving a murder.

When a robbery spirals out of control, their attempts to conceal the past begin to collapse.

The second instalment, Criminal: Part 2 – Lawless, arrives on January 27, 2027.

Its focus shifts towards Tracy as he returns to confront the criminal connections threatening his younger brother.

Together, the two chapters promise a broader story about inherited violence, personal responsibility and the difficulty of escaping family history.

A Crime Adaptation More Than a Decade in the Making

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Plans to adapt Criminal first emerged in 2011, when the property was being considered for a feature film.

South Korean director Kim Jee-woon was attached to the project, but the proposed adaptation never reached production.

Prime Video’s television version now offers a longer format for exploring the characters and interconnected plots created by Brubaker and Phillips.

Although the series joins the streamer’s expanding collection of comic book adaptations, it takes a different approach from superhero productions such as The Boys and Invincible.

Instead of extraordinary powers, Criminal focuses on ordinary people making dangerous decisions in a world where trust is fragile and the consequences can be permanent.

Could Criminal Become Prime Video’s Next Major Crime Hit?

The newly released teaser suggests a tense, character-driven thriller combining violent confrontations with complicated personal relationships.

Hunnam’s portrayal of a reluctant criminal provides the central conflict, while Clarke and Evans bring additional emotional stakes to the unfolding story.

The decision to divide the season into two interconnected chapters also gives the series an opportunity to explore the same criminal world from different perspectives.

For viewers drawn to dark crime dramas, morally conflicted characters and unpredictable heist stories, Criminal is shaping up as a notable addition to Prime Video’s 2027 lineup.

Criminal: Part 1 – Coward premieres January 13, 2027, followed by Part 2 – Lawless on January 27, exclusively on Prime Video.