Ray Winstone searches for a lost diamond in new Sky1 drama, ‘Moonfleet’.

Ray Winstone (The Sweeney, Great Expectations) and Aneurin Barnard (We’ll Take Manhattan, The White Queen) are to lead the cast of new two-part family drama ‘Moonfleet’.

The story is an adaptation of the John Meade Falkner novel set in the small Dorset village of Moonfleet and is Written by Ashley Pharoah (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes).

In the story, young John Trenchard (Barnard) is desperate to join the local band of smugglers led by Elzevir Block (Winstone). Together they embark on an adventure full of action, friendship and humour, and hunt for a fabled lost diamond. Their journey takes them from 18th Century Dorset, to the Jewel quarter of The Hague and on to a gripping, final sea voyage.

Ray Winstone comments: “I’m incredibly excited to be working with Sky – I can’t wait to start filming and it’s a real honour to be bringing such an epic adventure story to life.”

Newcomer Sophie Cookson joins the cast as John’s first love, Grace who is also the daughter of Moonfleet’s anti-smuggling magistrate, Mohune, played by Ben Chaplin (Mad Dogs, Dorian Gray). Omid Djalili (Gladiator) will appear as diamond merchant, Aldobrand, and Martin Trenaman (The Inbetweeners) as the Turnkey. Lorcan Cranitch (Silent Witness, Cracker) and Anthony Ofoegbu (Spooks, The Bill) play Elzevir’s fellow smugglers, Meech and Loder.

Produced by the award-winning Company Pictures in association with Element Pictures. The series is Executive Produced by Huw Kennair-Jones for Sky, John Yorke and Claire Ingham for Company Pictures, Ashley Pharoah and Patrick Spence. The programme is directed by Andy de Emmony (The Bletchley Circle) and produced by Dan McCulloch (Endeavour).

Filming of ‘Moonfleet’ begins in and around Dublin this summer for transmission on Sky 1 later this year.