If you haven’t already heard of Swarm, the new series by multihyphenate Donald Glover (AKA Childish Gambino), you’ve almost definitely seen clips of an eerily charismatic Billie Eilish within the show popping up on your FYP.
WATCH: Swarm official trailer on Prime Video
Starring Dominique Fishback as antihero Dre, Swarm is rumoured to be inspired by the Beyoncé standom, and per the show’s synopsis, tales “an obsessed, Houston-based fan [going] to increasingly violent lengths for her favourite R&B singer”.
The witty, genre-bending series that satires the blood-spluttered horrors of soured fan culture also features the debut acting role of Happier Than Ever singer Billie Eilish as cult leader Eva, as well as writing credits from Malia Obama.
Where to watch Swarm?
The first episode of Swarm was released 17 March, and all seven episodes are now exclusively available to stream on Prime Video.
Stream it now on Prime Video, live and on demand with a 30 day free trial. Start your free trial here.
Who is cast in Swarm?
Alongside Dominique Fishback who plays Dre, a young woman who’s devotion to singer Ni’Jah proves deadly, Swarm also stars Chloe Bailey as Dre’s best friend Marissa, Karen Rodriguez as Erica, and Nirine S. Brown as Ni’Jah.
Billie Eilish and Paris Jackson make appearances in later episodes as Eva and Hailey respectively – while Rory Culkin makes a full-frontal cameo in the first episode.
Is Swarm based on a real story?
While the screen at the start of the series reads with true Hollywood cheek that “any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is intentional”, the disclaimer in the end credits says that Swarm is “a work of fiction” with any similarities to any persons or companies being “entirely coincidental and unintentional”.
The show’s murders are reportedly based in some truth – with co-creator Janine Nabers telling Variety, “every episode, with the exception of Episode Four, has a true foundation for its murder”.
Regarding the Beyoncé rumours, we – like everyone else watching – cannot help but recognise several uncanny similarities between the titular fanbase ‘Swarm’ of fictional Houston-born singer Ni’Jah and that of the Beyhive with real Houston-born singer, Queen B, herself.
Though Glover and Nabers have not confirmed the series was inspired by Beyoncé, Glover – who is famously friends with the singer – joked at the Los Angeles screening, “Beyhive, don’t kill us”, as reported by Variety.
Stream Swarm on Prime Video, live and on demand with a 30 day free trial.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
