Is Jeff Goldblum as Zeus Going to Unleash Greek Mythology in Popular Culture?

The upcoming Kaos TV show promises to bring Greek mythology into the Netflix era, with Jeff Goldblum playing the role of the mighty Zeus. Will this new series introduce millions of modern viewers to the exciting world of Greek Gods and myths or will it be a flop?

Greek Mythology in Entertainment

This isn’t the first time that the Greek Gods have appeared in mainstream entertainment, although this area of mythology has perhaps been less well-represented than it deserves to be. In recent times, 2006’s hugely successful 300 movie told the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, with Gerard Butler as King Leonidas leading a mere 300 Spartans into battle against the larger Persian army.

The classic figures from Greek mythology have also been introduced to many other areas such as the themed online slots including Zeus, Poseidon and other Gods on Paddy Power and other sites. Perhaps the lack of recent blockbuster movies explains why Paddy’s Slingo selection focuses on other ancient cultures with Slingo Cleopatra and Slingo Centurion among the top options. These games all have similar basic gameplay but introduce features and images based on the theme, so it’s easy to imagine a Greek-themed Slingo being made if Kaos is a big hit.

What Is Kaos About?

The all-powerful Zeus is worried that his reign may be coming to an end when he discovers a wrinkle on his forehead. Created by Charlie Coveli for the Netflix streaming platform, Kaos introduces us to six modern-day people who have a deep connection to each other thanks to an ancient prophecy. At the same time that Zeus begins to worry, the other characters realise that they’re linked to a massive conspiracy.

As well as Goldblum, the show features Janet McTeer as Hera, David Thewlis as Hades, and Cliff Curtis as Poseidon, among others. It’s described as being a drama in some places but Netflix calls it darkly comic. The first season will be released as eight episodes, with each running for an hour.

A Kaos trailer has been brought out showing us Goldblum as Zeus, but it doesn’t provide enough information to give us a clearer idea of what to expect. However, the description in the video says that Zeus is “all-powerful, cruel, occasionally benevolent” and adds that he doesn’t yet know that the plot to take him down has begun.

Will It Be a Success?

Many of the early comments made about the first Kaos trailer focus on Goldblum’s charisma and suitability for the role of Zeus. If it’s to be a success, it seems likely to be based on the actor turning in an excellent performance as the arrogant and sometimes irritable God of Gods.

The time could be right for an epic Greek series to put this culture’s mythology back at the front of popular culture. With love, power and life said to be the main themes in Kaos, it seems that making this Greek Gods show more relatable to our everyday lives may be its best chance of success.