EXCLUSIVE: Idris and Sabrina Elba have set Halfway, a sci-fi thriller podcast at Audible with Lenny Henry, George Mackay, and Sex Education alum Patricia Allison as voice cast leads.
Written by Imeldha Eloni and Michael Honnah and directed by Holly Reddaway, Halfway examines a world in which AI is used to recreate the personalities of deceased loved ones for profit. The cast is rounded out by Arinzé Kene (Been So Long).
Halfway is the first audio drama executive produced by Idris and Sabrina Elba with S’ABLE Labs, from the scripted development project between the Elbas and Audible, launched to discover and support underrepresented writers.
The series begins with Florence, played by Patricia Allison, who is consumed by grief following the death of her brother, Mark (Arinzé Kene). A year after being declared missing, Mark is uploaded to Halfway, a service that aims to provide closure, consolation, and comfort to those grieving their deceased using synthetic AI technology, at a cost. Florence believes his disappearance is connected to the global tech corporation and its subsidiary – Halfway. Florence uses the synthetic version of her brother to help discover what happened to him. Together, the two uncover the disturbing truth about Halfway, its web of corruption, and the murder conspiracy they are desperately trying to cover up.
Halfway was created by writers Imeldha Eloni and Michael Honnah and directed by Holly Reddaway with original music and sound design by Axel Kacoutié, underpinned by a Dolby Atmos mix by Kurt Martinez at Dean Street Studios.
“We’re both incredibly passionate about elevating the voices of underrepresented talent, which was at the core of what we wanted to do with this project and Audible,” said Idris and Sabrina Elba. “Imeldha Eloni and Michael Honnah have created an incredible story which was an absolute joy for us to Executive Produce. At S’ABLE Labs, partnership is one of our core pillars, which was at the root of everything the team did with Halfway. With music from Axel Kacoutié, direction from Holly Reddaway, and all brought to life with an incredible acting performance from the cast, Halfway is a truly collaborative project and we can’t wait for people to hear it.”
Eloni and Michael Honnah describe Halfway as a “grand concept.”
“Audible and S’ABLE Labs supported and championed us to adventure with all of our original ideas. We were encouraged to push the boat out and make something that was cinematic for the ears,” they said. “As a result, Halfway is an incredibly rich, grounded sci-fi from a particular black British perspective. It draws on real-world issues and we are excited to have created a story that discusses the social consumption of tech and how human relationships have become reliant on technology as it evolves into more advanced forms like AI.”
Halfway is available for download from today on Audible.
