Sundance Now and Shudder have teamed up for the first time and acquired the rights to author Deborah Harkness‘ best-selling novel “A Discovery of Witches” for a series adaptation.
The series has an amazing cast that includes Emmy® nominated actor Matthew Goode (The Crown, Downtown Abbey), Teresa Palmer (Hacksaw Ridge), Alex Kingston (Er, Doctor Who), Valarie Pettiford (Being Mary Jane), and Owen Teale (Game of Thrones).
The eight-episode series will be produced by Bad Wolf, the team behind “The Night Of”, “Doctor Who”, “Torchwood”, “Da Vinci’s Demons”, and the upcoming adaptation of Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials”.
Filmed in the UK’s Wolf Studios Wales and on location in Oxford, “A Discovery of Witches” is a contemporary love story that begins against the backdrop of Oxford academic life, in a world where small numbers of witches, vampires, and demons live an work, unseen amongst humans, hiding in plain sight. Teresa Plamers plays the brilliant historian Diana Bishop, a reluctant witch denying her heritage. The discovery of a bewitched manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library throws her into the heart of a dangerous mystery – and into the path to the enigmatic vampire and geneticist, Matthew Clairmont, who hides a dark family secret.
As Diana and Matthew embark on a journey to understand the secrets of the ancient manuscript, their relationship develops, and events threaten to unravel the fragile peace that has long existed between witches, vampires, demons, and humans.
This captivating story is filled with intrigue, romance, and magic and set in spectacular locations that underscore those very qualities,” Jan Diedrichsen, General Manager of Sundance Now. “We are thrilled to see Deborah Harkness’ books brought to life in such an inspired way with such a charasmatic cast and talented crew. The result is binge-worthy televsion at its best and we know that ‘A Discovery of Witches’ will apeal to both premium drama fans at Sundance Now and the gernre fans at Shudder.”
“A Discovery of Witches” was adapted for the screen by Kate Brooke (Mr. Selfridge). Bad Wolf co-founder Jane Tranter is executive producing the series directed by Juan Carlos Medina (Painless).
The series premiered in the UK earlier this month. When the US premiere date is announced we will let you know. In the meantime, pick up your copy the book series in stores nationwide or from Amazon.
