Emmy-winning creator Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen) is heading back to HBO with a chilling new series. Lindelof will write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner on The Chain, a straight-to-series adaptation of Adrian McKinty’s 2019 novel.

HBO has ordered eight episodes of the thriller, which is said to expand on the dark mythology of McKinty’s book. The story centers on a mother ensnared by a shadowy criminal network and forced into an unthinkable choice: commit a crime for the group or lose her kidnapped daughter forever.

Lindelof co-wrote the pilot with Carly Wray (Mad Men, Westworld), while McKinty will serve as a co-executive producer. Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer executive produce for Media Res (The Morning Show), alongside Shane Salerno.

“From the moment I heard the wild and original premise of Adrian’s book, I was shocked, surprised, and angry I hadn’t thought of it myself,” Lindelof said. “I’ve always wanted to adapt a great thriller, and this one has all the dark, weird, exhilarating touches that fire up my imagination.”

HBO EVP of Programming Francesca Orsi praised the collaboration, calling Lindelof “one of the most singular and distinctive creators of our time,” and promising that The Chain will plunge viewers deep into the unsettling corners of the human mind.

The Chain marks the first project under Lindelof’s two-year overall deal with HBO, which began last September. A feature film adaptation, once set up at Universal with Edgar Wright attached to direct in 2020, ultimately never came to fruition—making this series the first time McKinty’s nightmare-inducing story will hit the screen.