Highlights From 'The Copenhagen Test' Panel At NYCC 2025
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If you’re looking for a spy science fiction thriller, then look no further than Peacock’s new series, The Copenhagen Test. Fans at NYCC got an exclusive sneak peek at the new series and had the chance to hear series creators, showrunners, writer’s and executive producers Thomas Brandon and Jennifer Yale, and executive producer and lead actor, Simu Liu, talk about the show, where the idea came from, and what fans can expect from this highly anticipated series. They also officially released the trailer for the show.
The new genre that Thomas has affectionately named “spy-fi” is an espionage thriller with science fiction. It’s about a first-generation analyst, Alexander Hale, who discovers that he is the mole in his organization. Someone has hacked into him, into his eyes and ears, and now they can see and control things. What’s unique is that the story starts with him finding out quite quickly that he is the mole, although the others don’t realize this until he lets them know, so instead of him wondering what is happening, he knows what has happened, just not who has done it. Thomas likened it to a sort of The Truman Show-esque style show. The main theme, according to Thomas, is: “we’re going to make a show that shows you who did the shooting and you’re not going to know why.”
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Thomas revealed that the idea for the show came back in 2017 when his wife’s laptop was hacked by some people who wanted $500 in bitcoin. As a science fiction writer, Thomas wondered what the next thing that could be hacked would be. We already had phones, computers, etc. He came up with eyes and ears. And he put that in the setting of espionage and his love of The Truman Show and all things 90s, and The Copenhagen Test was born. The Martian was also an influence in creating the communication structures in this show since communication, and unique communication, is so key.
Thomas and Jennifer talked in depth about how Simu helped as a writer and was on board immediately, helping with character creation and storyline, and did so much work for the show just by himself, putting his heart and soul into it.
Jennifer said that “the audience can expect a very tense and propulsive ride for every episode.” She teased coded clues that create paranoia and twists and turns and betrayals, and a difficult puzzle. Simu talked about how this isn’t a show to watch while on your phone because you will miss the details that mean so much to the story, like the symbolism in the blinking that the characters do.
Simu also talked about the difficulties and intricacies of performing a character who is also having to perform for others to hide what is happening to him. He talked about how complex Alexander is as a character, and many of the other characters as well. The layering with the characters and the story will make this show a perfect one for people who love deep characters and deep stories, and character-driven stories. Simu also talked about how he appreciated the collaborative nature between the writers, the showrunner, and the actors. Not every show is like that. He also talked about how special it was for him to portray this character and work so closely with this project as an Asian man. And how important it was for Alexander to be Asian and how that actually affected his character and the show itself. It wasn’t just a casting to have diversity; it was intentional, which made the show and his character even better.
Melissa Barrera, who plays Michelle, couldn’t be there at the panel, but she sent a video talking about her character, and then Simu discussed how she also gave the show her all, the character her all, even down to the fight choreography and physicality of the character and character ideas, and how she was really a fantastic actress to work with. The audience was also treated to a clip of when Michelle is introduced in the show.
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They talked about how the fight sequences play such an integral part in the show, not just because they themselves are part of the story but because each sequence itself tells something subtle about the story within the story. They’re not just there to be there. Why is it happening, and what is the subtext? Each movement tells a story. The audience was treated to a special clip of a fight sequence in the first part of the show, and got to watch how it told the story even more in-depth.
They also talked about how the editing and the pacing tell the story so that the audience doesn’t get exhausted by the story, but still has that same level of anxiety and thrill that they need to have to be a part of the story – a push and pull between the thrill and paranoia and figuring out the puzzle with the characters.
We saw another clip from the beginning of the show that really started to set up the show and what audiences will expect from the level of intensity and thrill.
James Wan’s production company, Atomic Monster, produced the show, and the team of producers, Michael Clear, Rob Hackett, Danielle Bozzone, and Liz Gezana, were very supportive and helpful in the project, along with all of the other teams that helped to get the show filmed and ready for fans. The Copenhagen Test was filmed in Toronto, Canada.
The Copenhagen Test premieres December 27, 2025, on Peacock and is sure to excite fans of spy thrillers, espionage, and science fiction. Be sure to check it out!
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