the beast must die britbox
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BritBox’s first drama ‘The Beast Must Die’ stars Jared Harris, sold to AMC

Looks good!

The Beast Must Die is BritBox’s first ever commissioned series drama.

This exciting five-part thriller has already been sold to US channel AMC – it’s said to be that good.

So what is it about? And who is in it? And when will it air in the UK?

What is The Beast Must Die about?

The Beast Must Die is being billed a revenge thriller starring Jared Harris.

It is a modern adaptation of the classic novel of the same name, written by Nicholas Blake (the pseudonym of Poet Laureate Cecil Day-Lewis).

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The original story follows a crime writer who plots revenge on the man he believes killed his son.

However, this television version sets to follow a grieving mother who attempts to infiltrate the life of a man she believes killed her son.

jared harris uk actor
Jared Harris is set to star in this upcoming series (Credit: SplashNews)

It is also set on British shores – on the Isle of Wight.

One of its stars, Cush Jumbo, said at a recent AMC panel that the location was very atmospheric.

Cush said: “We were on this island. These characters are trapped on this island. Everything is cyclical, and it energised in a different kind of way.”

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Little else is known about the plot so far.

Who wrote the series?

The series is written by  Gaby Chiappe, who has adapted the plot for the modern audience.

In an interview printed in IndieWire, she says she deliberately swapped the plot around to focus on a mother instead of a father.

Hence she said: “In the book, Cush’s character is actually male. Instinctively, it felt rather familiar now, and I was personally much more interested in that character as a woman.

“The mechanics about forensics change. But what’s happening internally to people, that journey is still the same.”

cush jumbo
Cush Jumbo is set to co-star in The Beast Must Die (Credit: SplashNews)

Who is in it?

Jared Harris leads this stellar cast and will likely receive top billing.

While judging from a preview clip, it seems likely that Jared will be playing the ‘murderer’ in question.

As the brief clip shows him as a foreboding character, who definitely seems capable of killing.

Additional stars include Cush Jumbo (The Good Wife), Billy Howle (Witness for the Protection) and Nathaniel Parker (Vanity Fair).

What else has Jared Harris been in?

Jared Harris, 59, is an award-winning British actor.

He’s well-known for his role as Lane Pryce in Mad Men, King George VI in The Crown and as Valery Legasov in Chernobyl.

Poster

He has won several accolades over the years.

In fact, he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his leading role in Charnobyl.

jared harris with wife allegra
Jared with his wife Allegra (Credit: SplashNews)

When is The Beast Must Die out in the UK?

It will be available to stream on BritBox from May.

How does BritBox work?

BritBox is a joint venture between the BBC and ITV.

It is a video subscription service not much unlike the likes of Netflix or AppleTV.

However, it primarily focuses on past television series.

There are dozens of classic shows and movies available to stream on the service.

But there are set to be original productions too, including The Beast Must Die.

Will you be watching? Let us know on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor

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