Alex Hassell, known for Rivals, and Kit Harington, famous for Game Of Thrones, are among the cast of a new Channel 4 drama titled Army Of Shadows, described as “gripping, provocative and action-packed.” The six-part series reimagines the 1944 novel by Joseph Kessel and the 1969 film adaptation by Jean-Pierre Melville, originally about the French resistance during Nazi occupation in World War II.
Plot and Setting
Written by MobLand creator Ronan Bennett, the series follows Berry, a former soldier living in an altered Britain who begins building a secret resistance network of people who refuse to look away from the growing oppression. The story explores the cost of resistance and the threat of a ruthless minister determined to maintain order in an occupied Great Britain.
Cast and Creative Team
Alongside Hassell and Harington, the cast includes Paddy Considine from House Of The Dragon and America Ferrera, known for Barbie and Ugly Betty. The series is directed by Lisa Gunning and developed with support from the Melville family and the Kessel estate, controlled by the Irish Red Cross.
Gwawr Lloyd, interim head of drama at Channel 4, said: “Ronan Bennett has created a gripping, provocative and action-packed drama that feels both epic in scale and strikingly relevant. Army Of Shadows asks powerful questions about freedom, resistance and the choices people make when democracy is under threat.”
Production and Filming
The series is co-produced by Studiocanal and Two Cities Television. Filming is already underway in Manchester, Liverpool, London, and Paris. Anna Marsh, chief executive at Studiocanal, commented: “We are incredibly proud to have developed this series from inception, attaching an extraordinary cast and creative team to bring Army Of Shadows into production today.”
