Michelle Collins Writing Portfolio
By Michelle Collins
June 23, 2026
[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Side-by-side photo of Pilou Asbæk and Millie Brady / Credit: Getty Images]
The Monsterverse is officially traveling back to the 1980s, and it just recruited some serious fantasy royalty for the ride.
Millie Brady (The Last Kingdom) and Pilou Asbaek(Game of Thrones, Foundation) have officially joined the cast of Apple TV+’s upcoming, untitled Monsterverse prequel series. The duo will star alongside Wyatt Russell, who is set to reprise his role as the younger version of Colonel Lee Shaw—a character he first originated in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Set in 1984, the historical sci-fi thriller follows a young Shaw on a high-stakes, secret Cold War mission behind enemy lines. His objective? Stop the Soviet Union from unleashing a terrifying new Titan weapon. JD Dillard (Devotion) is officially on board to direct the pilot episode.
While details on Brady and Asbaek’s roles are strictly under wraps, the 1984 backdrop offers juicy narrative possibilities for character speculation. Given Asbaek’s knack for playing menacing, unpredictable antagonists—most notably Euron Greyjoy in Game of Thrones—he is a seamless fit to play a dangerous Soviet scientist or a ruthless military commander overseeing the USSR's Titan program.
Meanwhile, Brady’s track record of playing fierce, independent leaders suggests she could portray an early, idealistic Monarch operative or a brilliant zoologist swept into the conflict. As the "brains" of the operation, her character could fight to protect the Titans from being weaponized by either superpower.
With Apple TV+ leaning heavily into high-budget franchise world-building to retain subscribers, this star-studded prequel serves as a major streaming play. Though fans will have to wait a bit to see how it all plays out, however; production is expected to get underway between late 2026 and early 2027, putting a realistic premiere date somewhere in mid-to-late 2027.
Game of Thrones, Last Kingdom Stars Join Apple TV+’s Prequel Monsterverse Series
Michelle Collins is a TV news writer, published romance author, and creative entrepreneur who consumes prestige dramas and campy reality TV at an unhealthy rate. A veteran contributor to Nerds and Beyond, she loves translating industry trade news into punchy, reader-friendly analysis. When she isn't managing her author-centered business or crafting her next novel, she’s analyzing Sci- Fi show timelines and debating the best series finales in television history.
Top Nine Indicators You’re Watching a Harlan Coben Series
By Michelle Collins
June 23, 2026
[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Side-by-side photo of Harlan Coben and his newest Netflix series “I Will Find You” / Credit: Getty Images]
Television audiences can’t get enough of author Harlan Coben: thus far, fifteen of his high-stakes thriller novels have been adapted into series, spanning five countries and two different streaming platforms.
The guy’s everywhere.
Though each of his series is unique, I couldn’t help but notice that his signature blend of suburban secrets, rapid-fire whiplash twists, and high-stakes emotion runs throughout every series, no matter the setting or title. (Why yes, I have seen them all.)
Many showrunners and producers have signature looks. Ryan Murphy gives us glossy high camp and wide-lens melodrama, Vince Gilligan is firmly entrenched in the Southwest, and Harlan Coben, too, has a look and feel to each of his series. Makes sense. He’s very hands-on with his material. I don’t blame him. It’s good stuff, and so far, he’s put it in capable hands.
It begs the question: how does he keep his signature style cohesive throughout each production? How do you know you’re watching a Coben series? Here’s a list of the Top Nine clues.
9. Upscale Suburban Setting – The action takes place in seemingly perfect, wealthy neighborhoods, often in the UK or Europe. We’re talking perfectly groomed lawns (or gardens if you’re in the UK), everyone has a luxury car, including the teens, and there are so many neighborhood picnics. I ask you: have you ever been to a picnic in your neighborhood? I have not. I always wanted to, but not in a Harlan Coben setting. Those picnics are where secrets come out.
8. Speaking of Secrets – Everyone has a secret, something they’ve buried for so long they’ve almost forgotten it themselves. When it comes out? You’d better believe there will be repercussions. Not just feelings of dread and guilt, either. A veritable domino effect of consequences usually spins out of control. Usually at the picnics. Then nobody eats the potato salad, and it’s just left to ruin.
7. Flashbacks – No story is complete without damning information the characters thought they had left in the past. But you know what they say: the past has a way of haunting you. Pay attention to the flashbacks. That’s where the crucial information is. “But how do I know it’s a flashback?” you ask. One indicator: really bad wigs.
6. The Stranger Figure – (Not The Stranger, 2020, arguably his best work in my opinion.) There’s always a guy. Well, usually a guy. He may look like a drifter, an unstable individual out to do harm, or just a weirdo in a coat that’s too warm for the weather, but he’s there, lurking. And he knows things. Things he shouldn’t and, coincidentally, things that can help solve the mystery. This stranger is a vital part of the Cobenverse. (Did I just coin that phrase? TM, me.)
5. The Long-Dead Surprise – This happens when a decades-old disappearance or death suddenly becomes relevant again in the present day. Usually, the haggard father with the missing child he’s desperately seeking discovers it before the detectives on the case. Because it’s HIS CHILD, and he will stop at nothing!
4. Richard Armitage – He’s appeared in several of the top Netflix Coben adaptations. There’s just something about that guy’s face that makes him the perfect troubled lead. His acting’s great too, which helps. However, if you’re planning to binge all the Cobens in a row, know that The Stranger (2020), Stay Close (2021), Fool Me Once (2024), and Missing You (2025) aren’t connected plot-wise. It’s just Harlan Coben’s “mascot,” as some have called him, appearing in them all.
3. Quick-Paced with Cliffhangers – Each series is designed to be binged, so every episode is speedy. Even during the slow emotional moments, you feel like you’re moving. Then it ends on a cliffhanger specifically meant to bring on the “Are you still watching?” message of doom.
2. Missing/Dead Spouse or Child – I mean, what’s it going to be about if not that? Desperate searches are the wings of the Cobenverse. And don’t even think about getting from Point A to Point B the easy way, either. Oh no, we’re going all over the place looking for that deceased relative viewers never even met. Trains, planes, buses—we’re on them all. When we get there? Oh, we’re reading diaries, digging through backpacks, interrogating wine-swilling neighbors, or questioning ex-boyfriends who are secretly still in love. No stone unturned, I’m telling you.
1. It Was You All Along – This is my favorite Cobenism: the final episodes resolve the chaos by linking almost every character to the original, central mystery. And this is where he does his best work. He’s managed to fool me numerous times, and I’m actively trying to guess the culprit in the first episode! (To my husband’s annoyance.) It’s like he’s taking cooked spaghetti and somehow turning it back into the straight noodles from the package. And we’re eating it up with no complaints.
Nerds and Beyond Articles
Per my resume, I worked as a reporter/writer for Nerds and Beyond. After I published multiple pieces, they brought me on board as an editor too. Here are links to some of my work on that entertainment site.