There’s something in the water … and it’s wearing Lilly Pulitzer.  

The limited series Sirens, starring Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, and Kevin Bacon, has washed ashore on Netflix, and brought with it mystery, mythology, and more. Check out the trailer here. 

Set over Labor Day weekend, Sirens follows Devon (Fahy) on her journey to a lavish island where mansions and hydrangeas abound — and where she comes to realize that the surrounding waters are murkier than they first appear. “I like to talk about Devon as the metronome of the show,” series creator and executive producer Molly Smith Metzler (Maid) tells Tudum. “She sets the pace, and especially the comedy. Casting Meghann was a gift from the heavens.”

“This story has a lot of teeth,” Smith Metzler continues. “There are real moments of drama, and it’s going to make people uncomfortable. Operatic is a word I like to use to describe it. It’s a true dark comedy — and it’s got a Greek mythology vibe.”

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Many of those darkly comedic moments unfold as Devon tries to reconnect with her younger sister Simone (Alcock), but can’t, thanks to the presence of her sister’s boss, the entrancing and inexplicable Michaela (Moore), who reigns supreme on the island and in Simone’s heart. 

“Julianne’s just the dream for this role because she does feel ethereal,” says Smith Metzler of casting Moore. “She’s from another kingdom. She is not a normie.”

To learn about Moore’s character, and to dip a toe into the world of Sirens, read on for everything we know about the plot, casting, and more. 

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What is Sirens about?

Devon thinks her sister Simone has a really creepy relationship with her new boss, the enigmatic socialite Michaela Kell. Michaela’s cultish life of luxury is like a drug to Simone, and Devon has decided it’s time for an intervention, but she has no idea what a formidable opponent Michaela will be. Told over the course of one explosive weekend at the Kells’ lavish beach estate, Sirens is an incisive, sexy, and darkly funny exploration of women, power, and class.

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Where was Sirens filmed?

The Kell estate, Cliff House, might exist on an island as fictional as the one inhabited by the Sirens of Greek mythology, but the series was filmed in some very real locations throughout New York state. The gorgeous grounds of Cliff House are actually part of Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, and Lloyd Harbor, New York, stands in for the small beach town where Devon first arrives on her quest to find Simone.

As for the opulent interiors of the house, those were created on a sound stage at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, New York, and were just as stunning as any real mansion.

Felix Solis, who plays Jose, Peter Kell’s right-hand man, tells Tudum, “The home is a big character on the show … You show up on set and you see this home, and I literally went, ‘Do you think someone actually, humanly, in real life, lives in places like this?’ ”

When Solis was told that the set was based on “an actual person’s home,” he says he found himself asking, “Who were these people before this, and who are the same people now?”

For Devon and Simone, who they were before Cliff House can best be summed up as “sisters from Buffalo,” and the series also offers glimpses into what their life was like there.

Smith Metzler tells Tudum, “I was so excited that we were able to shoot just a little bit of Buffalo so that everyone understands where Devon is coming from … We have to enter it from her point of view. And her point of view is so very different from the colors, the music, the culture, the rules, the politeness [of Cliff House]. That contrast actually is sort of the engine of the whole show.”

“Can you change where you come from? Can you change your stripes?” asks Smith Metzler. “Especially in America, where you can suddenly have wealth, but class, can you change class? Can someone really change who she is? Can any of us?”

Who’s in the cast of Sirens?

Moore, Fahy, Alcock, and Bacon will be joined by Glenn Howerton (BlackBerry, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Felix Solis (Ozark, The Recruit, The Rookie), and Bill Camp (The Queen’s Gambit, A Man in Full).

• Julianne Moore (May December, Mary & George) as Michaela Kell: Michaela is a philanthropist and animal activist who runs island high society and is the wife of billionaire Peter Kell. Her relationship with her assistant, Simone, strikes some as too close for comfort.
• Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus, The Perfect Couple) as Devon DeWitt: Devon is back in her hometown and on a downward spiral. She’s funny, resilient, and fiercely protective — especially of her younger sister Simone.
• Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow) as Simone DeWitt: Simone is Devon’s sharp and charming younger sister who hit the jackpot — working as a personal assistant to a billionaire.
• Kevin Bacon (City on a Hill, MaXXXine, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F) as Peter Kell: Peter comes from old money and is the most important person in every room he enters. He’s an avid outdoorsman who enjoys the occasional joint.
• Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, BlackBerry) as Ethan Corbin III: Ethan is a dear friend of the Kells and a lifelong bachelor who lives next door. He’s a regular at the yacht club, and he’s rapidly burning through his trust fund.
• Felix Solis (The Forgotten, The Rookie) as Jose: Jose plays the role of humble gardener, but he’s actually the manager of Cliff House — the head of security, the puppet master of the estate’s vast surveillance system, and Peter’s right-hand man.
• Bill Camp as Bruce DeWitt: Simone (Alcock) and Devon’s (Fahy) father, Bruce, is a Navy veteran who has recently been diagnosed with early-onset dementia. Gruff and proud, he dreads becoming a burden to his daughters.
• Josh Segarra (Scream, Abbott Elementary) as Raymond: The proud manager of a restaurant franchise in Buffalo, New York, Raymond is Devon's longtime, on-and-off toxic boyfriend.
• Trevor Salter (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) as Jordan: Rugged and handsome, Jordan is the captain of Ethan’s yacht. All the society ladies have a crush on him.
• Britne Oldford (Dead Ringers, The Umbrella Academy, Long Bright River) as Missy: The Kells’ seasonal housekeeper hates the job and equally loathes the commute from the mainland.
• Lauren Weedman (Hacks, Looking) as Patrice: Professional, tough, and no-nonsense, Patrice is the Kells’ longtime personal chef.
• Jenn Lyon (Claws, Dead Boy Detectives) as Cloe; Erin Neufer (Fellow Travelers, Julia) as Lisa; Emily Borromeo (Blue Bloods, FBI: Most Wanted) as Astrid: Known as “The Fates,” Cloe, Lisa, and Astrid often speak as one and dress identically as a trio. They are devoted to Michaela and her preservation work. Cloe is the mean girl, Lisa is the zealot, and Astrid is the ditz.

Can I see some photos from Sirens?

Yes. See Moore, Fahy, Alcock, and Bacon with everything from edible arrangements to endangered birds in the first-look photos below and throughout this article. 

Who’s the creative team behind Sirens?

Sirens is executive produced by Dani Gorin, Tom Ackerley, and Margot Robbie for LuckyChap, and Colin McKenna. Metzler and LuckyChap’s previous series with Netflix, Maid, starring Margaret Qualley, spent 14 weeks in the Global Top 10 TV list and reached the Top 10 TV list in 93 countries. Nicole Kassell (Watchmen and The Baby) has also joined the project as director and executive producer.

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Is Sirens based on a book?

No, the series is based on Metzler’s play Elemeno Pea, which she wrote during her time at the Juilliard School.

When does Sirens come out?

Hey, hey — you can heed the Sirens call now on Netflix. And read more about the show’s ending here.

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