Here’s Everything You Need To Know for the Premiere of ‘Will Trent’!

New series based on Karin Slaughter’s bestselling novels joins strong ABC drama lineup.

When the investigation into the murder of a teenage girl reveals there’s more to the story than meets the eye in the pilot episode of the new ABC series Will Trent, based on the Karin Slaughter New York Times bestselling series of novels, Special Agent Will Trent (Ramón Rodriguez) of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is called in to employ his keen instincts and powers of observation to uncover the truth.

Will, like great eccentric detectives before him such as Colombo, Monk, or Sherlock Holmes, comes with a special set of quirks: he always wears a 3-piece suit despite the more than 100-degree summers in Atlanta, where the series is set; he’s dyslexic, so he’s developed work arounds for his inability to read; and his power of observation puts normal detectives to shame.

Here’s everything we know so far:

When does Will Trent premiere?

Will Trent premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

What time will Will Trent air?

Will Trent will air at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

What is Will Trent about?

According to ABC, the new procedural drama stars Ramón Rodriguez as Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI), “who was abandoned at birth and endured a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. But now, determined to use his unique point of view to make sure no one is abandoned like he was, Will Trent has the highest clearance rate in the GBI.”

Related: The 20 Best Thrillers Ever, According to Author Karin Slaughter

Is Will Trent based on a true story?

Nope. The basis for the new ABC series was created in the mind of author Karin Slaughter, who wrote the fictional novel series of the same name.

Which Will Trent book is the TV series based on?

Will Trent season 1 will lean heavily on the stories from Karin Slaughter’s first Will Trent novel, Triptych.

Who’s in the Will Trent cast for season 1? Ramón Rodriguez as Will Trent

Will is assigned some of the GBI’s most difficult cases because his unique perspective on life—plus the skills he has learned to help cope with his dyslexia—has made him the go-to agent for difficult cases.

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Erika Christensen as Angie Polaski

Angie was raised in the foster care system with Will and, she too, is in law enforcement, but she’s on the Atlanta Police Department.

Iantha Richardson as Faith Mitchell

Faith begins as a member of the Atlanta Police Department, but in the pilot, she’s partnered with Will on this very difficult case, a relationship that will continue as the series progresses.

Jake McLaughlin as Michael Ormewood

Michael Ormewood is a veteran detective on the APD.

Sonja Sohn as Amanda Wagner

Amanda is Will’s boss at the GBI and so much more, but for those who haven’t read the book, we won’t give out any spoilers.

Betty

Betty is the Chihuahua that Will adopts in the pilot episode.

“Betty is a star,” Rodríguez said. “We know it. She’ll be getting her own spinoff soon. The beauty in the pilot, what we got to do, we learned that Betty was tied up outside of Will’s house, the neighbor’s house. The neighbor passed away and there was Betty tied up all alone. And Will, being someone who does suffer from abandonment issues from his past, being an orphan, growing up in the foster care system, wasn’t just going to let this dog stay out there. He takes it to an animal shelter, learns what they’re going to do this dog, and isn’t OK with it, and ends up adopting it and taking it home. And I think that’s a sign, first of all, it shows you how much of a heart he has. But also, he’s not going to let you know he’s doing something to this dog that maybe he feels someone didn’t get to do for him. And I think that’s a kind of constant for him throughout the process and the series is he’s trying to help people.”

Related: Karin Slaughter Explains Why We Really Love True Crime Thrillers: ‘It’s Human Nature to Want to Know Where the Danger Is’

Is there a trailer for Will Trent season 1?

There is! The trailer illustrates that in addition to his exceptional skills as a detective, Will is a man with a heart. Watch it now.

Where is Will Trent filmed?

Will Trent is set and filmed in Atlanta. And Rodriguez explained, “It’s pretty great when you get to shoot where something takes place and so Atlanta very much, especially in the pilot, we really establish it as a character. The heat of Atlanta, the warmth, the look of the show, the tones of this show really represent this city. In this season, we get to go to places that are out of the city as well, which is really great. Some of our stories are inspired by some of what’s happened here in Atlanta and Georgia in general. So, we go to some locations outside the city, a bit more rural, where there’s some real history, and we get to explore some of that in our stories.”

When was Will Trent filmed?

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Will Trent was filmed from October 2021-February 2022.

How much did Rodriguez rely on the book to form his characterization of Will Trent?

“Honestly, my process in terms of the book was to really hear the book, see where this all stemmed from and came from, and then look at the pilot, particularly when we started and each episode becomes its own thing, even though it’s inspired by this book and we’re taking a lot from these books,” Rodriguez said.

“I think at the same time, these characters begin to breathe on their own as well. I met Karin when she came on set. She was lovely and awesome. And I loved her books. And so, it was really great to watch her actually take in something that I’m sure has been in her head for years. And so, to watch and come into the GBI, or come into the APD, I can only imagine what that must be like as a writer when you’ve had something that you created and now, you’re seeing it physically represented.”

But again, you know, it’s with [executive producers] Liz Heldens and Dan Thomsen and the production designer and what everybody puts together. And that’s the beauty of this process. You know, writing a book, you’re alone and in your head, and in production, it’s a constant collaboration with everyone— lighting, DP, hair, makeup. Every department comes together to create a vision.”

Where to watch and stream Will Trent

Will Trent will air on Tuesday nights on ABC. Then become available to stream the next day on Hulu.

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