Netflix’s “Violet Hour” Promises a Sci-Fi Rollercoaster with Anya Taylor-Joy at the Helm

Netflix Taps Anya Taylor-Joy for Bold New Sci-Fi Epic Series, “VIOLET HOUR”

LOS ANGELES — Netflix has officially announced production on a brand-new prestige sci-fi drama series, “Violet Hour,” with Emmy-nominated actress Anya Taylor-Joy leading the cast. The show marks one of Netflix’s most ambitious original productions to date and is slated for a global release in 2026.

Known for her otherworldly presence and critically acclaimed performances in The Queen’s Gambit, The Menu, and Last Night in Soho, Taylor-Joy is no stranger to roles that challenge perception and reality. In Violet Hour, she plays Dr. Violet Keene, a theoretical physicist who accidentally becomes the first human to witness time folding in on itself — and then begins slipping through different versions of her own life, each with increasingly dangerous consequences.

“It’s a story about identity, memory, and how far you’d go to protect your future — even if it means rewriting your past,” Taylor-Joy said in an early statement via Netflix. “I’ve never read anything like it.”

Netflix confirmed that the eight-part limited series is being helmed by acclaimed sci-fi director Lisa Joy (Westworld), with a script co-written by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation). The team behind the camera signals Netflix’s latest push into intelligent, prestige-level science fiction that pairs philosophical depth with cinematic spectacle.

Set across three time periods — 2035, 2100, and a fragmented post-apocalyptic Earth — Violet Hour is said to combine the mind-bending tension of Black Mirror with the haunting emotional core of Arrival. Production is set to begin later this year in Iceland, Spain, and Vancouver.

Netflix insiders say Taylor-Joy’s character will navigate not only fractured timelines but also her own fractured self, as alternate versions of Violet begin interfering with her choices. Some are trying to help her survive; others, to erase her entirely.

“Anya brings both elegance and vulnerability to a role that demands emotional precision in chaos,” said showrunner Lisa Joy. “Violet Hour is her most ambitious project yet.”