Dopesick Trivia | 20 facts about the miniseries

«Dopesick» is an American drama miniseries created by Danny Strong for Hulu. It was based on nonfiction book Dopesick by Beth Macy.

Let’s find out more about the miniseries!

1. Dopesick is an American drama miniseries.
2. It was created by Danny Strong for Hulu.
3. It was based on the nonfiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy.
4. It premiered on October 13, 2021.
5. It concluded on November 17, 2021, after eight episodes.
6. Dopesick focuses on “the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction” across the U.S., on how individuals and families affected by it, on the alleged conflicts of interest between various government agencies like the FDA and DOJ and the Purdue Pharma, and finally, on the legal case against Purdue Pharma and their development, testing and marketing of the drug OxyContin.
7. Most of the characters in the series are fictional and composite characters.
8. Mountcastle, Ramseyer, and the members of the Sackler family are the only main characters based directly on real people.
9. On June 17, 2020, it was announced that Hulu had given the production a limited series order consisting of eight episodes based on the book, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy.
10. The series was created by Danny Strong who also serves as executive producer alongside Michael Keaton, Warren Littlefield, John Goldwyn, Beth Macy, Karen Rosenfelt, and Barry Levinson.
11. Barry Levinson also directed the limited series.
12. Production companies involved with the series are 20th Television (replacing the initially announced Fox 21 Television Studios), John Goldwyn Productions and The Littlefield Company.
13. Principal photography began in December 2020 in Richmond, Virginia and Clifton Forge, Virginia and continued through May 2021.
14. North Carolina and Georgia were in contention, but Virginia was selected for its tax incentives and locations.
15. In preparation for his role as attorney Rick Mountcastle, Peter SarsgaIn a 2019 episode of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”, Michael Keaton appeared in the main story about the opioid crisis in the USA. He read real quotes from Richard Sackler’s court proceedings. In “Dopesick”, Sackler is portrayed by Michael Stuhlbarg.
16. Dr Samuel Finnix, played by Michael Keaton, tells Billy Cutler that he is from a small town in southwestern Pennsylvania. Michael Keaton is from Coraopolis, a small town in southwestern Pennsylvania.
17. The shooting location of Clifton Forge is a railroad town, not actually a mining town.
18. A Hulu Original Series produced by 20th Television.
19. The first episode screened at the Virginia Film Festival on October 30, 2021, followed by a discussion with Danny Strong and Beth Macy.
20. Internationally, the series premiered on the Star content hub of Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar and Star+ on November 12, 2021. The first two episodes airing that day with subsequent episodes released on Wednesdays.