Charlie Covell, Jeff Goldblum Discuss Retelling Greek Myths in ‘Kaos’

The upcoming Netflix drama “Kaos” is an old tale with a distinctly modern spin. Jeff Goldblum stars as Zeus, king of the gods, but in this telling, he’s an aging, sexually incontinent, increasingly paranoid figure. Think Logan Roy trying to maintain his grip on his family and his empire.

“Why do we come back to myths?” muses creator Charlie Covell. According to Covell, myths remain timeless because the issues they explore are eternal. “Power, abuse of power, love, death, family and dysfunctional family” are themes that remain relevant to audiences.

This darkly funny saga, reminiscent of “Succession,” focuses on powerful siblings at each other’s throats. Yet, these are no mere mortals fighting for control of a media company. Instead, “Kaos” merges fantastical elements with modern-day settings. Scenes range from Zeus’ palace on Mount Olympus to the Underworld, envisioned as a Kafkaesque nightmare crawling with humorless civil servants. Contemporary Crete is filled with cars, falafel trucks, and ordinary citizens in modern dress. Even the gods favor athleisure: Zeus sports a tracksuit embroidered with lightning bolts, while Poseidon (Cliff Curtis) struts around in swim trunks on his yacht, conducting an affair with Zeus’ wife, Hera (Janet McTeer).

Zeus remains oblivious to this, preoccupied with thwarting an ancient prophecy foretelling his downfall. Meanwhile, his party-loving son Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan) looks for purpose, wanting Zeus to take him seriously. Viewers are introduced to a roll call of Greek mythology’s MVPs, including Medusa (Debi Mazar), Orpheus and Euridyce (Killian Scott and Aurora Perrineau), and Ariadne (Leila Farzad), whose paths will collide in an epic climax.

For a fairly new writer, Covell, who also wrote “The End of the F**king World,” this project is ambitious. Initially, Covell planned to start smaller, envisioning it as an “immersive theater piece.” An early scene featured Clytemnestra making her way through a bureaucratic, dusty Underworld. The idea was to juxtapose grand classical figures with mundane, absurdist, English-British humor. This tone carries over to the series, making Goldblum — master of the antic and the arch — perfectly suited to play a god on the verge of a breakdown.

Goldblum joined the cast in 2022 after Hugh Grant dropped out for scheduling reasons. He was drawn by the timelessness of the stories. “Greek myths address the entire scope of human experience,” he explains. Covell’s vision captivated him. “It struck me right in my stomach,” he adds.

To flesh out his character, Goldblum didn’t look to real-life megalomaniacs. “I used my imagination mostly — and then looked into my own heart and soul,” he says. Covell also insists Donald Trump wasn’t an inspiration for Zeus, pointing out they started working on the project before 2015.

Covell anticipates that mythology purists may have mixed feelings about “Kaos,” as they weren’t shy about modifying key elements of the classical versions. However, the intention was always to make the show accessible. “Classics can feel elitist,” Covell notes. “People love to drop classical references to make others feel stupid. I never wanted the show to be that.”

While the eight-part first season can stand alone as a narrative arc, Covell reveals they have plans for Season 2 if Netflix orders it. Goldblum, too, is eager for a renewal. “I already am wildly curious,” he says. “Charlie’s got many things in mind. So it’s fertile ground.”