The BBC and Netflix have announced that they are partnering up for a four-part animated miniseries adaptation of the beloved novel Watership Down, which will premiere on BBC One in the UK and on the streaming service around the world in 2017.
The series, written by Tom Bidwell (Bafta-nominated My Mad Fat Diary) and directed by Noam Murro (300: Rise of the Empire), will star James McAvoy (Filth) as Hazel, Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road) as Fiver, Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3) as General Woundwort, John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as Bigwig, Gemma Arterton (Made in Dagenham) as Clover, Miles Jupp (The Thick of It) as Blackberry, Freddie Fox (Pride) as Captain Holly, Olivia Colman (The Night Manager) as Strawberry, and Anne-Marie Duff (Suffragette) as Hyzenthlay.
“Like many generations of readers Richard Adam’s novel had a profound effect on me and is a true masterpiece,” states director Noam Murro. “Tom Bidwell has beautifully captured the spirit of the novel and brought it to life for a contemporary audience and I’m thrilled to be working with the BBC, Netflix and 42 to bring this to the screen.”
“Before there was Harry Potter there was Watership Down, Richard Adams’ novel is one of the most successful books of all time and one of the biggest selling books in history,” states Matthew Read, BBC Drama Commissioning Editor. “It is fantastic to have the opportunity to bring a modern classic to a mainstream BBC One audience with such an incredible roster of actors alongside the talented team overseeing the animation. This fantastic take on the novel will unite the whole family, and bring this classic story to a new generation.”
Set in the idyllic rural landscape of southern England, this tale of adventure, courage, and survival follows a band of rabbits on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, towards a promised land and a more perfect society.
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Originally published April 28, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
