Casting has been announced for the upcoming adaptation of Lord of the Flies by the BBC and Australian streaming service Stan, with filming now underway in Malaysia.
Much of the cast are making their professional acting debuts on the show, following an open casting call.
In the four-part drama, a plane crash strands a group of schoolboys on a desert island. Without adults, the children attempt to organise themselves, to disastrous results. Ralph tries to provide structure, supported by the intellectual Piggy. Eventually, though, Jack – who oversees the signal fire – challenges Ralph’s leadership, and tempts other boys into savagery.
Each episode will be titled after a core character – Ralph, Piggy, Simon and Jack – to provide slightly different perspectives on the fate that befalls the boys.
Winston Sawyers will play Ralph, with David McKenna appearing as Piggy and Lox Pratt as Jack. Simon will be played by Isaac Talbut, Roger by Thomas Connor, twins Sam and Eric by Noah and Cassius Flemyng. Cornelius Brandreth will play Maurice, while Tom Page-Turner will be playing Bill.
Hans Zimmer will also co-create the score with Kara Talve (The Tattooist of Auschwitz). Eleven are producing the show for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, as part of a co-production with Stan, who will air the programme in Australia.
Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials) has penned the drama, which will be directed by Marc Munden (Utopia). In a first for television, it will adapt the 1954 novel of the same name by William Golding, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983. The show is being made with support from Golding’s family.
“I still can’t believe we have been given the opportunity to film this beautiful book,” said Thorne. “The first few days shooting show that our cast are extraordinary and that Marc is finding a whole new visual language in capturing the wonders of them and the beauty of Malaysia. He is an incredible storyteller. It is all so exciting.”
“This iconic novel of class, conflict and tender male friendship has never been more relevant. It’s a real privilege to be working with Jack Thorne once again, the wonderful cast of young actors we’ve assembled and the brilliant team at Eleven on this beautifully fresh adaptation,” said Munden.
Further filming will take place in the UK later in 2024.
