Malcolm D. Lee‘s first psychological thriller is almost here, and if Chloe Bailey and Lucien Laviscount’s energy is any indication, audiences are in for something they won’t see coming. Strung, the new Peacock Original premiering June 26, is an interesting creative departure for Lee, best known for The Best Man franchise and Girls Trip.

Produced by Tyler Perry and Jason Blum, Strung centers on Layla, played by Bailey, a talented violinist trying to survive in expensive Los Angeles, who takes a prestigious job as a music tutor for the gifted daughter of an influential and enigmatic family. As she becomes entangled in their opulent world, unsettling secrets begin to surface, forcing her to question her safety, her dreams, and even her sanity.

The film was written by Alan B. McElroy, whose credits include Todd McFarlane‘s Spawn and Wrong Turn, and co-stars Lynn Whitfield, Anna Diop, and Coco Jones alongside Bailey and Laviscount. Lee himself has described the script as one that made him react out loud while reading its twists and turns, providing enough motivation for him to step into a genre he hadn’t previously touched.

We caught up with Bailey and Laviscount ahead of the film’s release, and both made one thing clear: Strung is a ride and they were hooked from the first read.

For Bailey, it started with the trailer. “I love being shocked. As a viewer and as a fan, I love sitting behind the television screen and being like, ‘Oh my goodness,’ and then trying to guess what happens and not being able to figure it out,” she said. “What I specifically loved about the trailer is that it gave so much with little context. So it shows you, like, how far we are all going. But you really don’t know the story, which is really perfect. And I just can’t wait for people to get their hands on this one. It is a ride for sure. It’s a rollercoaster ride for sure.”

Laviscount, who plays Marcus, came to the project through the script, and the script took him somewhere he didn’t expect.

“The opportunity to play a character that’s so complex, I think all the characters are running from something in one way or another,” he said. “And then to see how it all unfolds for Marcus in the end was it. I couldn’t have written it. I had no imagination to even get there when I first started reading the script. And then when I finished the script and it took me on this whole journey, I was hooked. I was hooked. I was hooked.”

One of the key elements of Strung is its music, and the preparation it demanded. Bailey, a Grammy-nominated recording artist, had played violin briefly in fifth and sixth grade before setting it aside for choir by seventh grade. For the film, she had to go back fast. She enlisted violinist Stephanie, a collaborator she had worked with previously on an orchestral version of Have Mercy for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, for hours of intensive training.

“She would come to my place and we’d have hours on hours where she’s teaching me fingering,” Bailey said. “We didn’t have to start from the top because it’s kind of like riding a bike where you remember certain things.” But she didn’t let herself off easy. “I didn’t want people to watch it and be like, ‘Ah, what is she doing?’ It’s not accurate. Because I’m a stickler like that. I’m a judgmental stickler. Like, if I see the breath is not matching with the lip syncing, I’m one of those.”

Bailey’s co-star Romy Woods also learned to play piano from scratch for her role, something Bailey shared with admiration. “To see the dedication and work that everyone put into this, and I do think, if I wasn’t a musician, I wouldn’t have been able to do the fingering so quickly as the way that I did for these difficult pieces. And I’m grateful to God.”

As for Laviscount, he was equally effusive about what it meant to be part of the ensemble Lee assembled. “I’m working with these absolute powerhouses. These women on this set, truly, truly phenomenal,” he said. “And this lady next to me here is so talented. So to be able to play, to dance, to be on that film set and work with these guys was truly amazing. And I think that the movie is phenomenal and it’s so much fun. It grips you.”

Strung premieres exclusively on Peacock on June 26, 2026. Check out the full interview below.