Cast announced for noir thriller
Picture shows Anna Friel at the cast read-through of Marcella.
ITV has announced that Anna Friel will lead the cast of new eight-part noir thriller, Marcella – from acclaimed writer of Swedish/Danish drama The Bridge, Hans Rosenfeldt.
Joining Friel, will be Laura Carmichael (Downton Abbey), Nicholas Pinnock (Captain America), Ian Puleston-Davies (Coronation Street), Nina Sosanya (Last Tango in Halifax), Ray Panthaki (Convenience), Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica), Patrick Baladi (Mistresses), and Harry Lloyd (The Theory of Everything).
Set in contemporary London, the Nordic style drama focuses on British Metropolitan Police Detective Marcella (Friel) at its heart. Shocked to the core of her being when her husband Jason (Pinnock) leaves her unexpectedly, confessing he no longer loves her, a heartbroken Marcella returns to the Met’s Murder Squad.
Ten years ago Marcella gave up her fast-tracked police career to marry and devote her life to her family. With the abrupt end to her marriage and isolated from her 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, Marcella throws herself into work to stop herself from falling apart.
Marcella wants back in on the serial killer case she first worked on in 2005. Has the killer re-appeared or is a copycat murderer responsible for these recent deaths? How will Marcella cope returning to duties when her own temperament is so fragile and vulnerable?
Suspicious of her husband’s motives for leaving her, Marcella finds herself playing detective away from work, but will her findings lead her to further heartbreak?
Anna Friel said of her role: “I’m thrilled to be working on Hans Rosenfeldt’s first English drama. Scandinavian storytelling is hugely inspiring but we Brits usually have to settle for doing a remake, so to be working with Hans on an original piece for ITV is a true privilege. Marcella is a complex woman and a wonderful layered character. Hans’ marvellous scripts have drawn a fantastic cast and crew together. I can’t wait to begin.”
Marcella is produced by Buccaneer Media and co-created by Hans Rosenfeldt and Nicola Larder (The Tunnel, Dracula). Charles Martin (Skins, The Returned) will direct with Andrew Woodhead (Fortitude, Spooks) as producer.
Filming of Marcella will commence in London and surrounding areas from November 2015.
