Thora Birch Led Podcast Series ‘Overleaper’ to Premiere May 5th on Realm

Written by John Edward Betancourt

One would think that podcasts should have certain limitations when it comes to the stories they can tell. After all, podcasting is an audio based medium. One that should suffer from the same storytelling limitations that radio plays of years gone by used to suffer from. But the beauty of technology and innovation and quality storytelling, are quickly making it clear that podcasts can be far more than just a digital radio play of sorts. They can be dramatic; they can be terrifying and above all… they can be as innovative and breathtaking as any action epic on the small or silver screen and one company that is proving this to be the case… is Realm Media.

For they continue to push the envelope both storytelling wise and from an innovation standpoint when it comes to podcasting, and they are preparing to release another series that features top notch casting and one ambitious story entitled, Overleaper. Which is an espionage thriller starring Thora Birch and well, judging from the plot summary and the trailer to this series… it’s obvious that Realm not only has another hit on their hands, but they are going to provide us with the closest cinematic experience possible, and well… rather than just my word for it… here’s the trailer and a synopsis of this series to demonstrate the epic nature of this series before its 5/5/22 release date, courtesy of Realm.

‘Realm, the audio entertainment company with more fiction podcasts in the top charts than any other company,, today released the trailer for “Overleaper.” Filled with twists and turns, the espionage thriller tells the story of an American soldier who must stop her doppelganger’s plans to assassinate the President of the United States. The new 10-episode fiction podcast, starring the voice talents of ‘90s icon Thora Birch (“Ghost World,” “Hocus Pocus,” "The Walking Dead"), premieres Thursday, May 5 with weekly releases on all podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.
 
“Overleaper” centers on Special Forces Staff Sergeant Audrey Beach (Birch), a determined career soldier, rising through the ranks to the cream of the military crop. She doesn’t have much else in life besides her daughter Lydia, who lives with her ex-husband after a difficult divorce. But Audrey’s training could never prepare her for a top-secret mission in Afghanistan’s Herat Province, where she faces the impossible: her own doppelgänger from another universe locking her up and leaving her to die…and taking Audrey’s place in the process. 
 
The Overleaper is Audrey, but in her timeline, she has suffered far worse pain. Her daughter Lydia is dead— murdered in a tragic military mishap— and her quest for revenge led her to sacrifice her loyalty to the United States. A dangerous country in her dimension aided the her vengeful mission, for a price: replace the Audrey Beach in our world and assassinate the President, no matter the personal price. With nothing left to live for, the Overleaper agrees.
 
To defend the nation and protect her good name, the real Audrey must escape Afghanistan and traverse the globe, evading US authorities and international spies in order to thwart the Overleaper’s plan. 
 
“Overleaper” is a Realm production, written by Sam Boush. The podcast is produced for Realm Studios by Diana Pho, Fred Greenhalgh, and Hayley Wagreich, directed by Fred Greenhalgh and executive produced by Molly Barton, Marci Wiseman, and Julian Yap.

About Realm: 
Since the audio entertainment company’s launch in April 2021, nearly 90% Realm shows have reached the top 100 most popular fiction podcasts in the US, with more than 25% reaching the top 10.  Realm’s slate is anchored by #1 hit fiction podcasts and fan favorites like IF I GO MISSING THE WITCHES DID IT starring Oscar nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe, ORPHAN BLACK: THE NEXT CHAPTER starring Emmy-winner Tatiana Maslany, MARIGOLD BREACH starring Jameela Jamil and Manny Jacinto; OUTLIERS narrated by Rory Culkin; BLACK FRIDAY with Fred Armisen; and MEMORY LANE, written by Sara Shepard, the New York Times bestselling creator of Pretty Little Liars. In 2022, Maslany will return to Realm as Executive Producer and star of the forthcoming dark comedy POWER TRIP.
 
Realm produces immersive stories with top-tier talent and companies from across the entertainment industry including franchise partners such as DC and Marvel on shows such as WONDER WOMAN: HEARTLESS and BLACK PANTHER: SINS OF THE KING starring Emmy-nominated actor William Jackson Harper. In 2023, Realm will release an all-new, original podcast from New York Times best-seller Charlaine Harris whose novels inspired the HBO mega-hit, TRUE BLOOD.
 
Realm was co-founded by former Penguin Random House executive Molly Barton and former Obama Administration Dept of Justice lawyer Julian Yap. Realm shows are available as podcasts everywhere, and on the Realm app, awarded “Best of the Year” by Apple. Follow Realm for updates on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. For more information, please visit https://www.realm.fm/. 
 
About Thora Birch:
 Thora starred on AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD as ‘Gamma’ opposite Samantha Morton, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Norman Reedus. Resuming her acting career right where it left off after going to school, Birch has numerous heavily praised recent films including playing Emilia Clarke’s sister ‘Jolene’ opposite Jack Huston and Johnny Knoxville in Phillip Noyce’s ABOVE SUSPICION (reuniting her with her director from PATRIOT GAMES and CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER), THE ETRUSCAN SMILE, starring opposite Brian Cox, Rosanna Arquette, and JJ Field, and the critically-acclaimed Plan B // A24 film THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO. Birch also recently starred in the Lionsgate thriller AFFAIRS OF STATE with David Corenswet, and portrayed software engineer ‘Morgan’ on Carlton Cuse and Ryan Condal’s hit series COLONY. 
 
Thora has won SAG Awards and multiple Young Artist Awards, and has been nominated for Golden Globe, Emmy, and BAFTA awards. Some of her most iconic roles include Enid in GHOST WORLD, Jane in AMERICAN BEAUTY, Teeny in NOW AND THEN, and Dani in HOCUS POCUS. Other classic films in which Thora has starred include MONKEY TROUBLE, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS, THE HOLE, and ALASKA. Thora has acted professionally since the age of 4 and a half.’

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