Josh Hartnett has revealed he was "actively not looking to do a TV show" before signing on to Netflix's thriller miniseries "Below," saying he had just finished a film and intended to make another before reading the script won him over. He made the comments at The Hollywood Reporter's Studio during the Toronto International Film Festival, discussing the project's creation by Jesse McKeown and its distinct tone compared with other recent horror-comedy television.

"Below" is set in a remote Newfoundland fishing village and sees Hartnett's character, Calvin, protect his family and community from a mysterious sea creature, alongside co-stars Charlie Heaton, Mackenzie Davis and Natasha Henstridge. Though sometimes likened to Apple TV's "Widow's Bay," Hartnett said the two shows differ in tone, with "Below" being more human-oriented. Filmed on location in St John's, Hartnett and Heaton worked with a dialect coach to master a specific Newfoundland accent, with Hartnett listening to CBC radio show "The Broadcast" almost daily to prepare; he also noted the irony of playing a fearless seafarer despite being personally "terrified of the water."