Paramount+ has announced the casting for the original UK drama series The Burning Girls, based on the novel of the same name, by C.J Tudor and adapted by Hans Rosenfeldt (Marcella, The Bridge). The series, produced by Buccaneer, in association with VIS – the international studio division of Paramount, has begun filming on location in and around London and South East England.
The Burning Girls is set in Chapel Croft, a village haunted by a dark and turbulent history. Leading the cast is BAFTA, two time Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe award winning Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead, The Serpent Queen) as Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent haunted by a tragedy from her previous church and who bears the onus of her husband’s death. Ruby Stokes (Bridgerton, Lockwood & Co) joins the cast as Jack’s 15-year old daughter, Flo, a teenager who marches to the beat of her own drum. Jack and Flo Brooks arrive in Chapel Croft in the hope of a fresh start however, they soon find the village rife with conspiracies and secrets, where uncovering the truth can be deadly in a community with a bloody past.
Five hundred years ago, Protestant martyrs – including two young girls – were betrayed and burned at the stake. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And a few weeks ago, the vicar of the local parish hanged himself in the nave of the church. Psychological horror meets small-town mystery in this story of a troubled vicar, desperate to exorcise the demons of her past and find peace in their new home, what message is someone trying to send them? The more Jack and Flo unearth, the deeper they are drawn into the age-old rifts, mysteries, and suspicions of this insular village.
Joining Samantha and Ruby are BAFTA EE Rising Star nominee Conrad Khan (Peaky Blinders) as Lucas Wrigley, Rupert Graves (Sherlock, Emma) as Simon Harper, Stranger Things star Elodie Grace Orkin as Rose Harper, Olivier Award winner Janie Dee (Official Secrets) as Clara Rushton, David Dawson (The Last Kingdom) as Aaron Marsh, Paul Bradley(EastEnders) will take on the role of Reverand Rushton, BAFTA TV award nominee Jane Lapotaire (The Crown, Marie Curie) will play Joan Hartman, Jack Roth (Bohemian Rhapsody) as Jacob, Mollie Holder (Sanditon) stars as Merry Lane, Safia Oakley-Green (The Origin, Sherwood) as Joy Harris, Beth Cordingly (Learning to Walk Again) joins as Emma Harper and John Macmillan (House of Dragon) will play Mike Sudduth.
Samantha Morton said: “I’m so thrilled to be working with such a talented and esteemed team on such an exciting show.”
On the casting, Buccaneer’s Co CEO Tony Wood said: “We couldn’t be happier with ‘The Burning Girls’ cast as we start production this week. The depth of talent is substantial and we’re thrilled to be bringing Hans Rosenfeldt and Camilla Ahlgren’s interpretation of CJ Tudor’s outstanding novel to life, deep in the English countryside.”
Further casting includes Guy Henry, Catherine Harvey, Shakira Newton, Lloyd Notice, Charlie Hamblett, Erin Ainsworth, Liam Hatch, Paul Fox and Valerie Murray.
The series, part of Paramount+’s strategy to commission 150 international originals by 2025, will debut in 2023 in the UK and other international territories where the streaming service is available. The Burning Girls is one of the first original dramas commissioned in the UK that will debut across Paramount+ internationally, with additional series including The Flatshare, A Gentlemen In Moscow, No Escape and Sexy Beast.
The series is produced by Buccaneer (Marcella, Irvine Welsh’s Crime) in association with VIS – the international studio division of Paramount. Executive Producers are Richard Tulk-Hart, Tony Wood, CJ Tudor and Hans Rosenfeldt (Marcella, The Bridge). Celebrated writer of the global phenomenon The Bridge and Netflix hit Marcella Hans Rosenfeldt serves as the lead writer of The Burning Girls, with Camilla Ahlgren (The Bridge) joining Hans in the writing team.
