Anya Taylor-Joy Returns to TV in 7-Hour Apple Series Lucky

Q: Is 'Lucky' a bold genre shift for Apple TV, or will poor reviews prove the action-pulp experiment a critical failure?

“Lucky” looks like a genuine genre stretch for Apple TV, but it is too early to call it a critical failure. The evidence for a shift is strong. Apple has built much of its reputation on polished prestige dramas and literary-minded series, while “Lucky” is being sold as a more overtly pulpy crime thriller: a reformed con artist, a botched robbery, mob pursuit, FBI pressure, car chases and rough-edged action. Anya Taylor-Joy’s own description of having to play the stunts “sloppy” rather than sleek underscores that this is meant to feel messier and more kinetic than her recent work in “Furiosa.” Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and a cast including Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant and Drew Starkey also give the project clear commercial ambition. What clouds the picture is reception. Some early write-ups characterize the show as a rare Apple misfire, citing a routine plot, implausibilities and thinly developed relationships. If that view hardens as more critics weigh in, “Lucky” could end up looking less like a successful reinvention than an expensive experiment that did not fully land. Still, on July 15, the series is only just launching, with the first two episodes debuting and the rest rolling out weekly through August 19. That makes any final verdict premature. For now, the fairest reading is that “Lucky” is a bold programming move for Apple TV, but whether it becomes a critical disappointment depends on how broader reviews and audience response develop over the full run.

3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jul 14

Apple TV begins streaming Lucky on Wednesday, with Anya Taylor-Joy returning to television as a reformed con artist forced back on the run.
7 hours of story drew Taylor-Joy back to the small screen, she said, giving more room than a two-hour film to build the character.
Reese Witherspoon asked Taylor-Joy to co-produce the series, adapted from Marissa Stapley’s 2021 novel, after the actor felt she had a distinct take on the material.
Lucky also stars Drew Starkey as her husband and Annette Bening as a mob leader pursuing her, with Taylor-Joy saying the role required rougher, less polished stunt work than Furiosa.