Amazon Prime’s latest creepy horror series is causing quite a stir, as it teases some truth behind its plot of an obsessive fan determined to kill to meet her idol. Naturally, many are curious to know, is Swarm based on a true story?
Created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, Swarm is an upcoming horror series that follows Dre (Dominique Fishback), a young woman with an obsession she’s willing to kill for. The Prime series unfolds as Dre stops at nothing to get close to her idol, the international pop sensation known as Ni’Jah (Nirine S. Brown).
Swarm hits the Prime Video streaming service on Friday, March 17, 2023. Beloved musician Billie Eilish is set to make her acting debut in the series, playing the role of a fan cult leader.
“Murder. Sex. Music. This is not a work of fiction.” With a tagline as straightforward as this, it’s not hard to see why many are wondering if Swarm is based on a true story.
Is Swarm based on a true story?
No.
Despite what the tagline suggests, Swarm and the characters featured throughout are not based on a true story.
However, the horror series does take inspiration from real-life events. Co-creator Janin Nabers recently discussed the origin of the story in an interview with Los Angeles Times.
While the main character Dre and the pop sensation Ni’Jah are entirely fictional characters, Nabers discussed how the stations they are placed in are based on real events:
“We did research for months to basically find events [between 2016 and 2018] that we could put our main character in.”
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She continued to explain the origins of the show, “We’ve taken real internet rumors, real murders, and combined them in the narrative of our main character”. The co-creator claims many aspects were taken from Donald Glover’s own personal experience as a musician.
The weaving of real events into the fictional narrative begs audiences to question their relationship with celebrities and fan culture, as Janin highlights. “It would be great if there was a way for people to look outside of themselves and examine what their relationship with certain celebrities are.”
Fictional pop-star Ni’Jah draws inspiration from Beyonce’s life
Janin Nabers discussed the work that went into developing the character of Ni’Jah and her career in the music business.
The co-creator claims they drew inspiration from infamous moments in Beyonce‘s career and life, including the iconic elevator moment.”We made the footage [ourselves] and they’re a lot of fun.”
She continues, “Everyone remembers where they were when the elevator moment happened. It’s undeniable that there are moments with musicians that shift culture.” These culturally shifting moments are the foundation of the series.
Drawing comparisons from stars like Beyonce and their careers has fuelled the anticipation for Swarm, with many eager to watch the series.
Janin also discloses how the murders showcased throughout the series were based on real-life crimes. “Everything that you see throughout this show is something that has been researched and examined.” Despite Swarm not being based on a true story, almost every aspect of it draws from real-life events.
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