iHeartMedia announces original scripted podcast Aftershock

iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, announced today a new scripted post-apocalyptic podcast, “Aftershock,” co-produced with Nomadic Engine and Salmira Productions, and starring Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break, The Walking Dead, Colony), David Harbour (Black Widow, No Sudden Move, Stranger Things) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead, Watchmen, Supernatural). In addition to her leading role, Callies also directed the series as well as co-created “Aftershock” with her Nomadic Engine partners, author Patrick Carman (39 Clues, Skeleton Creek) and TV/Film Producer Ben Haber (The Smurfs Movies, Across The Universe), and wrote with Carman. “Aftershock” will be available on iHeartRadio and all major podcast platforms beginning July 14. Listeners can hear the official trailer now.

“I’m an island girl, raised in Hawai’i, and this is my story about what it might look like if a new island appeared - who’d go there and why, what they might be running from, what they might be drawn to? At its heart, it’s a story about forgiveness and second chances,” said Callies. “It’s been wild, making ‘Aftershock’ - recording in the pandemic - everyone gave their whole hearts, it was amazing. That kind of support from actors I’ve worked with my whole career - to come in for basically no money and do such brilliant work to support this thing, that means so much to me, it was deeply moving. ‘Aftershock’ is the first thing I’ve written, directed, produced and starred in, and I’m so grateful to this cast - and the entire creative team from iHeartRadio to Salmira and all of the producers - for bringing this story to life.”

“Aftershock” takes place in the wake of the largest earthquake in US history. Los Angeles lies in ruins, hundreds of thousands of people are dead or unaccounted for, and a mysterious island has risen up in the quake just off the coast of the city. Cassie Wallace (Sarah Wayne Callies) and Wayne Sharpe (David Harbour) embark on the dangerous journey to the island to save her daughter who is stranded there - but they are not alone. Doomsday preppers, indigenous activists and a utopian cult all arrive to claim their piece of the new island – and then people start dying. Told through flashbacks and unreliable narrators during an investigation weeks after the quake, “Aftershock” starts as a series of simple questions and, as we realize no one on the island is who they seem to be, it ends as a national emergency.

“‘Aftershock’ is a labor of love,” said Morgan. “Recording during a pandemic gave us unexpected obstacles but by getting creative and bringing together old friends, we were able to produce an exciting and unique podcast filled with unexpected turns. It was a real pleasure supporting Sarah in this creative adventure and I can’t wait for folks to give it a listen.”

The star-studded cast also includes Tati Gabrielle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The 100), Janel Parrish (Pretty Little Liars, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), Russell Hornsby (The Hate U Give, Fences), Rockmond Dunbar (Prison Break, Sons of Anarchy), Tovah Feldshuh (Lady in the Water, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Bethany Joy Lenz (One Tree Hill, Dexter), Michael O’Neill (Dallas Buyers Club, Transformers, Seabiscuit), Austin Amelio (The Walking Dead), and EJ Bonilla (Gemini Man, The Long Road Home, The Old Man).

The 10-part series will debut with two episodes on July 14, 2021, with one new episode posting each week until the exhilarating conclusion. Following the last episode, fans will enjoy a special roundtable discussion episode with the cast on September 15.

The series is executive produced by Ben Haber, Mark Ramsey, Sarah Wayne Callies & Patrick Carman along with Salman Al-Rashid, Sam Frohman & Simmons Frazier for Salmira Productions; David Harbour; Jeffrey Dean Morgan; Paul Anderson & Nick Panella for Workhouse Media; and Noel Brown for iHeartRadio. Sound Design, Scoring & Mix is by Ambie Nominated Jeff Schmidt (Dr. Death, Dirty John). “Aftershock” is distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network.