If you were a fan of Jason Bateman's dramatic turn in Marty Byrde in Ozark is one of the best performances of the actor's career, and it signaled a change in his trajectory. Before Ozark, Bateman was best known for his comedic roles, appearing in Dodgeball, the Horrible Bosses series, Identity Thief, and, of course, starring in Arrested Development as the beleaguered Michael Bluth.

Marty is a cunning, terrified, dangerous individual who manages to escape death on multiple occasions through his drive to live and willingness to do just about anything. It's an impressive performance and one that earned him three Golden Globe nominations and 10 Emmy nominations, winning once in 2019 for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. If you enjoyed Bateman's dramatic turn in this dark series, you may enjoy a similarly grim show with him in the cast. The Stephen King adaptation only lasted for one season, but it's worth checking out.

Jason Bateman Played A Little League Coach Accused Of Murder In The Outsider

A Young Boy's Corpse Turns Up Mutilated In A Small Georgia Town

Jason Bateman stars in the 2020 HBO series, The Outsider, based on the 2018 Stephen King novel of the same name, as Terry Maitland. Terry is a Little League baseball coach in Cherokee City, Georgia, where a little boy's corpse turns up mutilated one day. When his identity is determined as Frank Peterson, many signs point to his baseball coach, Terry, as the culprit. The series revolves around the local police's search for the culprit and the growing paranoia within the town as people begin to suspect one another.

Like any good Stephen King story, the search for a rational answer ends up opening a horrific and impossible world that those searching are not equipped to handle. It's a very slow burn, and after a violent and fast opening, the show slows down quite a bit. It's an atmospheric and scary series that pulls few punches when it comes to its grim nature. The first two episodes in particular are excellent, and though the series lowers to a simmer after a boiling-hot opening, it's definitely worth investing the time in.

Jason Bateman Isn't The Only Notable Cast Member In The Stephen King TV Show

The Series Is Filled With HBO All-Stars

Jason Bateman is just one of many notable cast who appear in the cast of The Outsider, and many of the actors soon after their role here went on to even bigger things, making The Outsider an interesting time capsule for the cast. Ben Mendelsohn stars as Ralph Anderson. Cynthia Erivo, who starred in Wicked in 2024, plays Holly Gibney. Julianne Nicholson, who went on to star in Mare of Easttown as Lori Ross, plays Glory Maitland. Paddy Considine plays Claude Bolton, and the actor soon after would star in House of the Dragon as King Viserys I Targaryen.

Other notable main and recurring cast include Bill Camp as Howie Salomon, Jeremy Bobb as Alec Pelley, Mare Winningham as Jeannie Anderson, Yul Vazquez as Yunis Sablo, Marc Menchaca as Jack Hoskins, and Derek Cecil as Andy Katcavage. It's a stacked cast, but it's not filled with completely recognizable stars. They're all people you know but may not be able to name, which helps in a story about paranoia, strangers, and how there might be a monster right next door.

Why The Outsider Was Canceled After One Season

The Series Was Pitched As A One-Season Miniseries

The Outsider only lasted for one season and 10 episodes, and in that time, it earned a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Jason Bateman received an Emmy nod for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, and the reviews were either laudatory or, at the very least, positive, with critics pointing to the atmosphere, direction, and acting. The only problem seemed to be the slow pace. Despite these positives, HBO ed on The Outsider season 2 in November 2020, months after the season 1 finale (via Deadline).

While the first season completely covered King's novel, season 2 was written with his blessing and includes a further exploration of the world and the universe that the horror author created. HBO said in their statement,

"We enjoyed our collaboration with Richard, Jason [Bateman], Andrew [Bernstein] and the MRC team, and we wish them well in continuing the world created by the brilliant Stephen King."

The first season of The Outsider was pitched as a miniseries, so the show was not so much canceled as it wasn't renewed. It would have been a completely different story from the first season, so you can't fault HBO too much for not giving it the green light. However, the show slowly grew its audience from 1.2 million viewers at the premiere to 2.2 million for the finale and was the network's most-watched first-year series in three years. At least the season concluded satisfyingly, and those who want more Jason Bateman post-Ozark won't be disappointed.