The Rig: Release date, trailer, cast, plot, more

Chris Tilly
Martin Compston in The Rig.

Here’s everything we know about new supernatural chiller The Rig, from the Amazon show’s release date and trailer to cast, plot, and more.

Made by (some of) the team behind TV hits Line of Duty and Bodyguard, The Rig is a new Amazon Original heading to the streaming service this month.

Written by newcomer David Macpherson, and based on stories his father told him about working in the oil industry, the high-concept thriller is the first of its kind to be shot entirely in Scotland.

John Strickland – who directed episodes of both Line of Duty and Bodyguard – helms the first three episodes, with the following everything we know about The Rig.

The Rig release date: When is the show on Amazon Prime?

The Rig launches on Amazon Prime this Friday, January 6.

The first series consists of six episodes, all of which are expected to drop that day.

While Strickland directs the first three episodes, producer-turned-director Alex Holmes helms the final three.

The Rig trailer: Is there a trailer?

Yes there is a trailer for The Rig. You can watch it below.

The trailer kicks off with the words “Kinloch Bravo. Active oil drilling platform. 150 miles off the Scottish coast.”

The workers on said oil rig them become stranded there, before there’s a power outage, fog engulfs the rig, and scary stuff starts happening. As one character puts it: “We keep punching holes in the earth, eventually it’s going to punch back.”

The Rig cast: Who’s in the Amazon Original?

The following is the main cast of The Rig, as well as details of who they play.

  • Iain Glen plays Magnus MacMillan, Offshore Installation Manager of the rig and leader of the crew.
  • Emily Hampshire plays Rose Mason the scientist and oil company rep, a fresh face on-board the rig.
  • Martin Compston plays Communications Officer Fulmer Hamilton.
  • Rochenda Sandall plays Medic Cat Braithwaite.
  • Richard Pepple is Crew Boss Grant Dunlin.
  • Mark Bonnar is Deck Foreman Alwyn Evans.
  • Calvin Demba plays Drill Hand Baz Roberts.
  • Emun Elliott is Rig Mechanic Leck Longman.
  • Abraham Popoola is Rig Crane Driver Easter Ayodeji.
  • Stuart McQuarrie is Head Chef Colin Murchison.
  • Molly Vevers plays Roustabout Heather Shaw.

The Rig plot: What is Amazon’s new show about?

The following is the official synopsis for The Rig…

Magnus and his crew aboard the Kinloch Bravo oil rig are stationed off the Scottish coast in the dangerous waters of the North Sea. When they are due to be collected and return to the mainland a mysterious and all-enveloping fog rolls through. The rig is hit by massive tremors, and they find themselves cut off from all communication with the shore and the outside world.

As the crew endeavour to discover what’s driving this unknown force, a major accident forces them to ask questions about who they can really trust. Bonds are broken, allegiances formed and generational fault lines exposed. The crew of the Bravo will be driven to the limits of both their loyalties and their endurance, into a confrontation with forces beyond their imagination.

That’s everything we know about The Rig, while you can check out our other upcoming TV hubs below:

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About The Author

Chris Tilly is the TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He has a BA in English Literature, an MA in Newspaper Journalism, and over the last 20 years, he's worked for the likes of Time Out, IGN, and Fandom. Chris loves Star Wars, Marvel, DC, sci-fi, and especially horror, while he knows maybe too much about Alan Partridge. You can email him here: chris.tilly@dexerto.com.