First Casting News for Sky’s A Discovery of Witches Adaptation
Debi Moore
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We first heard about a TV adaptation of Deborah Harkness’ trilogy of books that began in 2011 with A Discovery of Witches back in February of this year; and now that it has landed at the UK’s Sky 1 and NOW TV, the first casting news has arrived. Along with letting us know who will be starring in the series, Sky has revealed a few more details…
From the Press Release:
A major new TV adaptation of the bestselling novel A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is coming to Sky 1 and NOW TV. Starring Matthew Goode (Stoker, “Downton Abbey”) and Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies, Hacksaw Ridge), this Sky Original Production from Bad Wolf will begin shooting in September at the new Wolf Studios in Wales and on location in Oxford.
“A Discovery of Witches” is a contemporary love story set against the backdrop of Oxford academic life, but in a world where a handful of witches, vampires, and daemons live and work unseen amongst humans, hiding in plain sight. Teresa Palmer will star as brilliant academic and historian Diana Bishop, a reluctant witch denying her heritage. The discovery of a manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library throws her into the heart of a dangerous mystery – and into the path of enigmatic geneticist Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode), who we discover also has a dark family secret: He is a vampire.
As Diana and Matthew embark on a journey to understand the secrets of an ancient manuscript and as their relationship develops and their heritage comes in to play, events threaten to unravel the fragile peace that has long existed among witches, vampires, daemons, and humans.
Commenting on the TV adaptation, author and executive producer Deborah Harkness said: “Teresa and Matthew perfectly capture my characters – I’m so excited by the casting and how they will bring the books to life.”
“A Discovery of Witches” was commissioned for Sky 1 by Sky’s head of drama, Anne Mensah, and director of Sky 1, Adam MacDonald. It has been adapted by writer Kate Brooke (“Mr Selfridge”), co-founder of Bad Wolf Jane Tranter will executive produce, and Juan Carlos Medina (The Limehouse Golem, Painless) is the director.
Commenting on the commission, Mensah said: “’A Discovery of Witches’ is a proper love story for grown-ups. However, the fact that it also examines science, magic, and being ‘other’ in the modern world makes it a must-watch. Deborah Harkness and Kate Brooke have given us a drama that packs both an emotional and thought-provoking punch. With the breathtaking vision of director Juan Carlos Medina and the Bad Wolf team, I feel very confident we are offering our customers something truly magical.”
Showrunner Brooke added: “The show is a relationship drama, grounded in emotional truth. Diana and Matthew, like all couples who meet and fall in love, at times struggle to understand each other and come to terms with their differences. And if you’re a vampire and a witch – those differences are huge.”
Tranter added: “’A Discovery of Witches’ is a bold contemporary love story beautifully adapted by Kate Brooke from the books by Deborah Harkness. We can’t wait to introduce fans of the novels to our cast and to bring in a whole new audience to these extraordinary stories.”
The international distribution rights for “A Discovery of Witches” will be handled by Sky Vision, Sky’s international production and distribution arm.
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