Nicolas Winding Refn (byNWR) and Matthew Read (Moonage Pictures) have come together to bring Enid Blyton’s classic children’s novels to the screen. Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’ are comprised of George, an only child, whose three cousins, Dick, Julian and Anne come to stay at her home in Kirrin for the summer.

Although initially George is dubious about trusting these new friends, she soon learns that adventuring with them is more fun than without them. The five are completed by George’s loyal dog Timmy.

Whilst Drive’s Winding Refn might not seem like the obvious choice for Enid Blyton’s adventurous bildungsroman classic, executive producer, co-creator, and screenwriter Matthew Read says: “I brought Nicolas Winding Refn on board because, having worked with him before, I knew he always wanted to be the sixth member of The Famous Five.”

In an interview with the BBC, Read explains himself and Winding Refn’s adaption: “Rather than taking the individual stories and making straight adaptations of the books, we looked at the books as a jumping off point. We wanted to weave our own stories which were inspired by the whole canon.”

The five shall be played by four up-and-coming actors, each of them only having been in a handful of projects before being cast. Diaana Babnicova (Little Darlings) will play George, an independent 11-year-old who Babnicova describes as “the glue that brings [the five] all together.”

Elliott Rose (The Northman) will take the role of Julian, the oldest of the gang and, as Rose says: “the muscle of the group.”

Next up is the “brains of the group” Dick, played by Kit Rakusen (Belfast). The youngest, Anne will be played by Flora Jacoby Richardson in her debut, who describes her character as “quite sassy, she presumes [her brothers] are there to serve her.”

Rounding out the cast as George’s mum and dad, or ‘Aunt Fanny’ and ‘Uncle Quentin,’ are Ann Akinjirin (Moon Knight) and Ted Lasso’s James Lance.

The first episode, entitled “The Curse of Kirrin Island” will have the five’s adventures begin with a body washing up on the shore of Kirrin beach, presumed to be the victim of a curse. The children will explore Kirrin Island, a small island owned by George and her family. A visit to the chapel leads to the discovery of an ancient ‘cursed’ treasure - but they will be battling against antiquarian Thomas Wentworth, played by Game of Thrones alum Jack Gleeson, to take it home.

The Famous Five’s first episode will premiere on CBBC and iPlayer on 9 December 2023, with the others following in 2024.