Stranger Things director's next Netflix series is a World War II epic that might tear your heart in two

Marie-Laure and Daniel look up at something off camera in Netflix's All The Light We Cannot See
All The Light We Cannot See will be released on Netflix in early November. (Image credit: Timea Saghy/Netflix)

Netflix has released the official trailer for its highly anticipated adaptation of All The Light We Cannot See and it looks spectacularly bleak just as we expected it to.

Based on Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, Netflix's live-action take on the fictional World War II-era story seems like it'll be a heart-wrenching watch when it debuts in early November.

In truth, we'd expect nothing less from a war epic set that's largely set in August 1944, i.e. World War II's latter stages. But All The Light We Cannot See isn't just a tale that depicts the horrors of war, it's equally a story about the power of human connection and hope, even in the darkest times. Check out the trailer for All The Light We Cannot See, which launches exclusively on the world's best streaming service, below:

Given its seemingly expensive backdrops and sets, explosive action, and deeply intimate narrative, we wouldn't be surprised if All The Light We Cannot See becomes a permanent fixture on our best Netflix shows list. We'll have to see if its four 60-minute episodes are as good as its trailer makes them out to be before we deliver an official verdict. Still, with award-winning actors including Marvel's Mark Ruffalo, House's Hugh Laurie, and Dark's Louis Hofmann, plus newcomer and lead star Aria Mia Loberti, All The Light We Cannot See isn't short of star power. 

The limited series also has some big names behind the camera, too. Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, The Girl in the Spider's Web) is its lead writer, while Shawn Levy (Stranger Things, Free Guy) is on directing duties.

If you want an extensive peek behind the curtain of the show's story, Netflix has provided a larger-than-normal plot synopsis to wrap your eyes around.

"All The Light We Cannot See is a groundbreaking limited series that follows the story of Marie-Laure (Loberti), a blind French girl and her father Daniel LeBlanc (Ruffalo), who flee German-occupied Paris with a legendary diamond to keep it from falling into the hands of the Nazis. Relentlessly pursued by a cruel Gestapo officer who seeks to possess the stone for his own selfish means, Marie-Laure and Daniel soon find refuge in St. Malo, where they take up residence with a reclusive uncle (Laurie) who transmits clandestine radio broadcasts as part of the resistance. 

"Yet here in this once-idyllic seaside city, Marie-Laure’s path also collides inexorably with the unlikeliest of kindred spirits: Werner (Hofmann), a brilliant teenager enlisted by Hitler’s regime to track down illegal broadcasts, who instead shares a secret connection to Marie-Laure as well as her faith in humanity and the possibility of hope."

Executively produced by Levy, Dan Levine (Free Guy, The Adam Project) and Josh Barry (Shadow and Bone), All The Light We Cannot See arrives in full on Netflix on Thursday, November 2.

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Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

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