Los Angeles is best known as the setting for Hollywood stars and glamor. However, it also serves as the backdrop for gritty crimes and mysterious cases that call upon the help of detectives. Think of L.A. Confidential or Nightcrawler or even famous unsolved cases in real life, such as The Black Dahlia or William Desmond Taylor's murder. It's no different for the upcoming Apple TV+ series, Sugar, which stars Colin Farrell as the private investigator, John Sugar. The new crime drama has been in the works since June 2022 and production primarily took place during the back half of that year.

There will be no need to crack the case wide open because you can just continue reading further below for all the clues you'll need to know everything about Sugar.

Does 'Sugar' Have a Release Date?

The crime drama will be streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ and will premiere globally with two episodes on Friday, April 5. The remaining six episodes will continue to be released on the platform every following week. The series joins the 2024 slate of new shows that are lined up for Apple's streaming platform, alongside The New Look, Masters of the Air, and Constellation.

Watch the Trailer for 'Sugar'

The official trailer was first released by Apple TV on March 5. It introduces John Sugar with his pet dog in a car as they roam the LA streets. He is hired by a veteran Hollywood producer, Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell), whose granddaughter is missing. Like any noir detective case, Sugar is led down a path of intriguing suspects and twisted lies. At the same time, he battles his inner demons that threaten to get in the way of his job.

What Is 'Sugar' About?

Sugar has been described as "a contemporary, unique take on one of the most popular and significant genres in literary, motion picture, and television history: the private detective story". The subgenre within crime fiction often focuses on a case solved by a morally gray or jaded detective. It intertwines the protagonist's flaws with the unfolding case and ultimately leads to some shocking revelations. The show draws on these prominent elements as shown in the official synopsis from Apple TV+:

Academy Award nominee Colin Farrell stars as John Sugar, an American private investigator on the heels of the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the beloved granddaughter of legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel. As Sugar tries to determine what happened to Olivia, he will also unearth Siegel family secrets; some very recent, others long-buried.

'Sugar' Episode Release Schedule

The crime series will follow the traditional release format of most Apple TV+ series, which is a combination of two episodes dropped together on the premiere date followed by subsequent weekly releases. Sugar will come out with a new episode every Friday as shown below.

Who Is in the Cast of 'Sugar'?

Colin Farrell leads the series as the titular detective, John Sugar, who specializes in finding missing people. The prolific Irish actor has remained busy over the past two decades building a repertoire of wide-ranging roles from S.W.A.T. to The Lobster. This TV project follows his most recent roles in The Batman and The Banshees of Inisherin, the latter of which landed him his first Oscar nomination and his second Golden Globe win. Farrell will next be seen in the Max spin-off show, The Penguin.

He is joined by Kirby Howell-Baptiste (credited simply as Kirby) and Amy Ryan, who will portray Ruby and Melanie Mackintosh respectively. Ruby is shown to be a close ally and handler of Sugar who knows his history and looks out for his well-being. Meanwhile, Melanie is a person of interest whom Sugar follows due to her knowledge regarding Siegel's missing granddaughter. Baptiste is a British actress best known for her work on TV series like Barry, Killing Eve, and The Good Place. Ryan is an Oscar-nominated actress for her performance in Gone Baby Gone. She recently starred in Beau Is Afraid and Only Murders in the Building.

The cast also includes Dennis Boutikaris (Better Call Saul), James Cromwell (Succession), Nate Corddry (For All Mankind), and Sydney Chandler (Don't Worry Darling) as members of the Siegel family. Cromwell, an Oscar-nominated veteran actor for his role in Babe, will portray Jonathan Siegel. Chandler, a relatively new actress, will play Olivia Siegel, the troubled and missing granddaughter at the center of Sugar's case. Boutikaris joins the cast as Bernie Siegel, Olivia's father, who is surprisingly not as involved with finding her and opposes his father's wishes. He appeared on numerous TV series, like Salvation, Quantico, and The Jackie Thomas Show. Corddry is David Siegel, Olivia's half-brother, a former child star who also lacks concern for her due to his selfish ambitions. The actor worked on other TV series, including Mom and Paper Girls.

Anna Gunn and Alex Hernandez round out the ensemble as Margit, David's mother, and Kenny. Gunn is a two-time Emmy-winning actress for her role as Skyler White in Breaking Bad, while Hernandez is known for starring in the TV series UnREAL and The Peripheral. Additionally, Jason Butler Harner (Ozark) plays Henry, an anthropologist and friend of Sugar, and Eric Lange (Perry Mason) portrays an LA crime boss named Stallings.

Who Is Making 'Sugar'?

Mark Protosevich serves as the show's creator and executive producer. His previous works include the films I Am Legend and the 2013 adaptation of Oldboy. Joining him as fellow executive producers are lead star Colin Farrell, Sam Catlin (Preacher), Chip Vucelich (American Horror Story), and Adam Arkin (Get Shorty). Audrey Chon (Invasion) and Simon Kinberg (The Gifted) also join the team from the production company Genre Film. Fernando Meirelles serves as another executive producer and the director of the series' episodes. The Oscar-nominated Brazilian director is best known for his films City of God and The Two Popes.

Will There Be a Season 2 of 'Sugar'?

As of writing, no official announcement has been made yet about the show's future. There is a possibility that the series could offer more stories with Sugar solving other cases based in LA, but for now, audiences will have to wait and see what will happen after the first season. Viewers can follow along with the show's compelling twists and answers on Apple TV+ beginning on April 5.