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The Lazarus Project

''The Lazarus Project'' may refer to: For the 2022 series, which aired two seasons on (concluding 15 November 2023) before cancellation in March 2024 and availability from 28 July 2025, see the dedicated article.

Arts, entertainment, and media

2008

The Lazarus Project is a 2008 drama-thriller directed and co-written by Patrick Glenn, with the screenplay also credited to Evan Astrowsky. Produced primarily in the United States and by companies including , Inferno Distribution, and Be Good Productions, the features extensive location shooting in , such as and . It stars as Ben Garvey, a paroled ex-convict who loses his printing job, rejoins his brother in a botched that results in a death sentence, and is executed by —only to mysteriously awaken with no memory of his past, now living as an orderly in a remote . The supporting cast includes as Ben's devoted wife Lisa Garvey, as his compassionate coworker Julie Ingram, as his reckless brother Ricky Garvey, as the enigmatic Father Ezra, and as the facility's director Avery. As Ben pieces together fragmented memories and notices inconsistencies in his new reality—including a family he doesn't recognize—he delves into the hospital's secretive operations, uncovering experiments tied to his improbable survival. Released directly to DVD on October 21, 2008, by Ascendant Pictures and , the film runs 100 minutes and carries a PG-13 rating for sequences of and . It draws thematic inspiration from the biblical tale of , emphasizing motifs of , personal , and the fragility of amid moral and existential dilemmas.

2008 novel

The Lazarus Project is a 2008 novel written by Bosnian-American author and published by . The book spans 304 pages and was a finalist for the 2008 as well as the 2008 for Fiction. The narrative alternates between two intertwined stories: a contemporary account following , a Bosnian immigrant and living in , who receives a grant to investigate the life of Averbuch, and a historical reconstruction of Averbuch's experiences as a young Jewish immigrant from arriving in the United States around 1907. Accompanied by his childhood friend Rora, a Sarajevo-based photographer, Brik travels through , , , and Bosnia to trace Averbuch's possible path, blending personal reflection with encounters that mirror broader immigrant struggles. The novel draws on the true events surrounding the death of Averbuch on March 2, 1908, when the 19-year-old was shot and killed by Chicago Police Chief George Shippy at his home, an incident fueled by anti-anarchist paranoia and xenophobic fears following events like the 1901 assassination of President . This historical episode, which sparked public controversy and investigations by figures like , is fictionalized to delve into themes of exile, , and persistent American toward immigrants. Hemon incorporates semi-autobiographical elements through Brik, who shares the author's own experience as a native displaced by the in the early 1990s, forcing him to rebuild his life in without returning home. The structure blends fiction, memoir, and historical nonfiction, augmented by black-and-white photographs—including archival images and contemporary ones taken during Hemon's research travels across and the —that visually document the journeys and disrupt the linear narrative to emphasize the interplay of past and present. These motifs of reclaiming lost histories resonate briefly with similar themes in the 2008 film and the 2022 television series.

2022 television series

The Lazarus Project is a television series created by . It premiered on in the on 16 June 2022, with the first season consisting of eight episodes airing weekly until 4 August 2022. The series was renewed for a second season in August 2022, which premiered on 15 November 2023 and concluded on 3 January 2024 after eight episodes. Produced by Urban Myth Films for in the and in the , the show explores themes of time manipulation and global crises through a secretive dedicated to averting disasters by resetting time. The premise centers on George (played by Paapa Essiedu), an ordinary man who discovers he can perceive shifts in time following a nuclear apocalypse, leading to his recruitment into the Lazarus Project—a covert group that resets the world to 1 July each year to prevent catastrophic events. The narrative delves into moral dilemmas surrounding the alteration of history, personal sacrifices, and the ethical implications of such interventions, with time loops triggered by existential threats. Key supporting cast includes Anjli Mohindra as Archie, George's handler and fellow operative; Rudi Dharmalingam as Shiv, a longtime member; Brian Gleeson as Ross, a team member; and Caroline Quentin as Wes, the organization's leader. Other notable performers are Charly Clive as Sarah, George's girlfriend, and Tom Burke as Rebrov, a rogue agent. Filming took place primarily in and , along with locations in and abroad such as and , with each episode running approximately 45–50 minutes. The series shares its resurrection-themed title with a 2008 film and novel, both exploring themes of revival. Critically acclaimed for its intricate plot twists, fast-paced storytelling, and strong performances—particularly Essiedu's portrayal of —the first season holds a 100% approval rating on based on 14 reviews, while the second season scores 80% from 5 reviews. Reviewers praised its blend of , sci-fi concepts, and emotional depth, though some noted pacing issues in later episodes. By November 2025, both seasons are available for streaming on in multiple regions, following its US debut on Drama in 2023. No third season has been announced, with confirming the series' conclusion in March 2024.

Science and technology

Multispectral imaging project

The Lazarus Project is an interdisciplinary initiative founded in 2008 by imaging specialists Roger Easton, Keith Knox, and William Christens-Barry to advance the recovery of damaged cultural artifacts through techniques. Since 2010, the project has been based at the , where Gregory Heyworth serves as director, overseeing operations and expanding its scope to global collaborations. The name draws from the biblical story of Lazarus's , symbolizing the "revival" of lost historical texts and artifacts, a theme echoed in various arts and media works. The project employs portable multispectral imaging (MSI) technology, which captures light across a spectrum from ultraviolet (UV) to infrared (IR) wavelengths to reveal hidden details such as faded inks, erased texts, and underlying layers in manuscripts and artifacts. This non-invasive process involves photographing objects under controlled lighting conditions, followed by digital processing using specialized software developed by team members like Easton to enhance contrast and produce high-resolution digital surrogates. The Lazarus Project provides free training workshops and loans portable MSI equipment to cultural institutions worldwide, enabling broader access to these preservation methods without requiring on-site expertise. Key applications include the recovery of text from the , a 2006 precursor project where MSI uncovered previously illegible mathematical treatises by the ancient Greek scholar. Subsequent efforts have imaged manuscripts at St. Catherine's Monastery in Egypt's , revealing lost astronomical texts including parts of Hipparchus's star catalog hidden in palimpsests, and work on the carbonized Herculaneum scrolls from the ancient Roman library buried by in 79 . These projects demonstrate MSI's ability to "resurrect" content without physical alteration, often in partnership with institutions like the Early Manuscripts Electronic Library. The initiative fosters international collaboration among humanities scholars, scientists, and organizations, conducting imaging at numerous sites worldwide, including a 2025 project on the oldest map in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's collection. Funded primarily through grants from the (NEH), the (NSF), and private donors, the project prioritizes open-access data sharing, making processed images and datasets freely available to researchers to advance the study of lost cultural histories.

De-extinction project

The Lazarus Project's de-extinction initiative, launched in 2013 by a team at the University of New South Wales led by paleontologist Michael Archer in collaboration with experts from the University of Newcastle and Monash University, aims to revive the southern gastric-brooding frog (Rheobatrachus silus) as a proof-of-concept for broader species resurrection efforts. This project shares its "Lazarus" name with a multispectral imaging effort for cultural artifacts and various artistic works, drawing from the biblical theme of revival. The southern gastric-brooding frog, native to rainforests in southeastern Queensland, , became extinct in the wild by 1983, primarily due to the chytrid fungus (), a pathogen that causes lethal skin infections in amphibians. The species was remarkable for its reproductive strategy: females swallowed their fertilized eggs, transforming the stomach into a brooding chamber where the pH was neutralized by secreted by the developing larvae, allowing them to incubate safely for about six weeks before being birthed live through the mouth. The core method employed is (SCNT), a technique in which nuclei extracted from preserved tissue samples of the extinct frog—collected in the and frozen for over 40 years—are inserted into enucleated eggs from a closely related living species, the great barred frog (Mixophyes fasciolatus). In 2013, the team successfully reactivated the extinct frog's genome, producing viable embryos that developed to the early stage and exhibited beating hearts, confirming the genetic material's viability. Subsequent efforts have focused on overcoming developmental arrest, enhancing embryo survival rates, and building resistance to the chytrid through genetic modifications. By 2025, the project has advanced to hatching trials using species, but no live frogs have been produced, with embryos typically failing after a few days due to technical challenges in full-term development. Initial funding came from private donors including businessman Dick Smith and scientists John Shine and Gary Johnston, supporting the proof-of-principle phase. Ethically, the project raises prospects for ecological restoration by reintroducing the frog to its habitat, potentially aiding recovery, though concerns include unintended disruptions and the prioritization of extinct over . More broadly, successes here could inform applications to other Australian icons like the (Tasmanian tiger), demonstrating scalable technologies for .

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