‘Harlan Coben’s Shelter’ Cast Interview | Up Your Geek: Spotlight

Note: This interview was recorded prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike*

Up Your Geek: Spotlight host Lou Lamar Booker got to speak with the cast of Prime Video’s upcoming series Harlan Coben’s Shelter, which is set to premiere August 18th on Prime Video and will consist of eight episodes, released weekly.

Series stars, Jaden Michael, Constance Zimmer, Adrian Greensmith and Abby Corrigan spoke on their complex characters and how they deal with the mysteries that unfold in the story. The cast also discussed their relationship with the characters and how they related to them in life as they discussed their biggest differences.

Zimmer talks about the excitement of the show, fans being excited for Shelter and the show’s world premiere at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco with the Prince.

“It was so wonderful to be able to have that experience with hundreds of strangers. After it was over, you were surrounded by immediate fans, which was so great to have that immediate gratification of people just being obsessed already with the show and with the characters and that made that much more special,” Zimmer said.

Zimmer talked about her new role, one not in the books, as Mickey Bolitar’s Aunt Shira Bolitar. Fans who have read the book will remember Mickey’s care giver was his Uncle Myron, who had his own series before Mickey’s trilogy of books. Zimmer talked about how the changes gives new life to the story, without compromising the integrity of the original source material. When asked what she hoped people watching take away from the story, Zimmer had this to say:

“Well, one, I hope they just enjoy watching it for the sheer fun and mystery and thrill of it and it’s a very fast paced. Then I think, there is an a wonderful underbelly in the story to that is also about your chosen family versus your family that you’re related to and how much of an effect those people have on your lives. And I think it’s also a coming of age story of teenagers and adults. Coming of age at different times in their lives and learning from each other, without even realizing that they’re learning from each other. And then it’s just, I think it’s fun to watch. People can put their minds together for good. That for me, is always a wonderful thing to take away that how powerful we are as individuals and how even more powerful we can be together as a community.”

In speaking with Jaden Michael, Abby Corrigan, and Adrian Greensmith, the young stars revealed what was most challenging for them about bringing the Shelter story to life. “I think there are a lot of moving pieces and sometimes I’d being sitting in a seen and be like, wait, I don’t really know. There’s a lot in the air. the hardest thing was to always bring it back to the people and always trying to keep it grounded and understanding what changes from the beginning of scene to the end of the scene. So that was something I always had to bring myself back to when everything was spinning out of control with the plot,” said Greensmith.

“There’s lot of things to juggle I think like being a high schooler, having a high school experience, your emotions being insane, and then also like trying to find someone who’s missing, you know, in high school,” Corrigan said. “We were constantly holding those two things all the time in scenes together. It was like, we’re solving this mystery but we’re also figuring out how we interact with each other as characters. We were only just starting to get to know each other, but we also like miraculously trust each other in the show. So it’s like one of those things where when you’re doing the scenes you’re carrying like double weight of emotional baggage,” she continued.

“I think that’s what makes the relationships in the show seem so organic is, they develop so quickly. I mean, if you think about the friends you have, you know, there’s a quick reaction that happens. It’s almost like ‘wow, I know we could be friends’ and then of course it builds and you learn more about each other, intentions occur. But if you think about the grand scheme of things, the show is really like that like a week or two of friendship that these guys have shared, and they go through so much and it thoroughly bonds them,” added Michael.

Mickey Bolitar (Jaden Michael) is a high school student who recently moved in with his aunt, Shira Bolitar (Costance Zimmer), after being rocked by his father’s death and his mother going into rehab. As Mickey settles into his new school in the quite suburban town of Kasselton, New Jersey—he befriends two misfits, Ema (Abby Corrigan) and Spoon (Adrian Greensmith), who become his closest companions.

Their tranquil lives take a dark turn when a new student at school, Ashley Kent (Samantha Bugliaro), goes missing under mysterious circumstances. As Mickey delves into Ashley’s disappearance, he uncovers a series of interconnected vanishings involving teenagers from his school. Determined to find answers, Mickey and his friends embark on a dangerous journey to unravel the truth behind these disappearances.

Along the way, they encounter a secretive religious cult, corrupt school officials, and a host of other characters with hidden agendas. As they untangle the complex web of connections that tie their town’s secrets together, Mickey must confront his own demons and find the strength within himself to protect those he loves. Mickey’s investigatory skills and resourcefulness are pushed to the limit as he navigates through layers of deceit and danger.

As the trio digs deeper, they discover shocking connections between the disappearances and Mickey’s own family history. The secrets that unravel threaten to shatter Mickey’s perception of his past and his future.

Harlan Coben’s Shelter skillfully weaves together a gripping narrative, blending elements of mystery, suspense, and coming-of-age themes. The prime series explores the struggles of adolescence, friendship, loss, and personal growth, all while keeping viewers on the edge of their seats with thrilling plot twists. Throughout the series, viewers will experience complex characters and suspenseful storylines that keep them engaged from the first scene to the last.

Coben is co-writing the series along with Charlotte Coben. He will also serve as showrunner and executive producer following the exit of originally announced showrunner Ed Decter. Erik Barmack is also executive producing along with MGM’s Rola Bauer. Patricia Cardoso will direct the pilot and executive produce.

Harlan Coben’s Shelter premieres August 18^th on Prime Video. Watch the full cast interview and below: