Colman Domingo’s Gripping Netflix Thriller Draws Inspiration From The Aftermath Of January 6, Delivering A Tense Conspiracy Story About Misinformation, Political Division And One Man’s Fight To Clear His Name Before Time Runs Out

Creator Stephen Belber conceived The Madness not long after the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.

“I was just looking around for something original to write, and I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll break the rule, and I’ll lean into the zeitgeist a little bit rather than try to avoid it,’ ” he told The Hollywood Reporter after the show’s release.

Netflix’s limited series, which premiered on Nov. 28, stars Colman Domingo as political pundit Muncie Daniels. The character’s career takes a turn when he’s away from the news desk and stumbles across the gruesome murder of a White supremacist. After realizing he’s being framed for the crime, Muncie goes on the run.

Domingo told The New York Times that the script was “just too good” to pass up.

“I had questions about our society, about who’s pulling the strings, about disinformation, about why we’re so divided. All these questions that I had, [Belber and writer V.J. Boyd] were uncovering,” the actor told the outlet. “They were saying, ‘Let’s bring this to the forefront.’ I wanted to be the instrument. I understand this character deeply.”

Here’s everything to know about Netflix’s The Madness and the real-life events that loosely inspired the script.

 

What is The Madness about?

Set in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, The Madness follows media pundit Muncie Daniels (Domingo). While on a solo writing retreat in the Poconos Mountains, Muncie comes across a deadly situation after he finds the next door neighbor murdered.

Muncie, who later learns that the man was a well-known White supremacist, is framed for the murder and is “forced to go on the run in a desperate fight to clear his name and unravel a global conspiracy before time runs out,” per the show’s official logline.

Speaking to The New York Times about the project, Domingo said Muncie is “an everyman” through which viewers can try to get answers.

“He’s sent down the rabbit hole to uncover some truths about the world that he lives in,” the actor continued. “He’s got to get out there in these uncomfortable spaces. He’s got to take that journey. I feel like people want to get on board with that.”

 

Is The Madness based on a true story?

The Madness isn’t based on a true story but it was loosely inspired by the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when pro-Donald Trump supporters led a deadly riot as Congress met to certify the votes of the Electoral College following Joe Biden’s presidential victory.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Belber admitted that although he “freaked out” over the show’s traction three years after the insurrection, he believes the American people have a “hunger” for entertainment that tackles significant issues.

Muncie comes face-to-face with several right-wing radicals in The Madness — who think he was responsible for the murder of an infamous White supremacist — but he’s also up against public opinion. When news of his alleged involvement reaches social media, conspiracy theories about Muncie run rampant — and he struggles to find someone to believe he’s innocent.

While talking to The Hollywood Reporter in a separate conversation, Domingo said The Madness couldn’t have premiered at a better time.

“I’m a person who believes that you have to get into the world, and you have to talk to other people and people who don’t believe in what you believe in to get to a new belief,” he said.

Domingo continued, “I felt like [Muncie’s] taking a journey many people need to take right now — to actually sort out all this disinformation, to actually form allies, sometimes with people you think you have nothing in common with.”

 

Where was The Madness filmed?

Netflix’s The Madness is based in Philadelphia but was primarily shot in Toronto.

Domingo, who was born and raised in the City of Brotherly Love, told The Hollywood Reporter that he was excited to learn that they’d be filming some of the exteriors in his hometown.

“We shot part of the running montage past my childhood home. In one of the episodes, there’s a park, and that’s actually my childhood park that was literally across the street from my elementary school,” he shared. “We even had a few background [actors] that were some of my childhood friends.”

 

Where can I watch The Madness?

All eight episodes of The Madness are available to stream on Netflix.

 

Will there be a season 2 of The Madness?

The Madness might not return for a second season as Netflix has designated it a limited series. However, Domingo would jump at the chance to reprise his role as Muncie — and the actor is already concocting potential storylines.

“I think there’s more story for Muncie and his family,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I think now that they’ve had all these sorts of huge life lessons, I’d be interested to take them out in the world and make them these modern-day, everyday superheroes who are just coming together as a family to work on things that affect the world or affect some change in some way.”

The actor continued, “I feel like we need to take them to Europe and see what happens.”