The four-part series is a co-production between BBC One and Netflix – the largest such collaboration to date – and brings together a plethora of stars for the remake of Richard Adams’ bestselling story.

Following his role as a Stormtrooper in the most recent Star Wars film, John Boyega will join A-listers James McAvoy (X-Men), Sir Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island) and Gemma Arterton (Made in Dagenham).

Olivia Colman (The Night Manager), Miles Jupp (Rev) and Anne-Marie Duff (Suffragette) will also appear in the programme.

The animation is set in the idyllic rural landscape of southern England and follows a band of rabbits who are forced out of their homes by the intrusion of man.  

The novel was first adapted in 1978 into a film that terrified and delighted a generation of children, and the new adaptation promises a “fantastic take on the novel” which will “unite the family, and bring this classic story to a new generation.”

Netflix’s Larry Tanz added that “the novel presentation of Adams’ work pairs great talent with beautiful animation and will delight existing fans and capture a whole new audience for this timeless story.”