Netflix has officially commenced production on The Woods, a gripping new thriller from master storyteller Harlan Coben, featuring a stellar cast that includes a fan-favourite actress making a highly anticipated return.
Cast and Production Details
Tom Bateman, known for his upcoming role in the rom-com The Love Hypothesis, will star alongside Michelle Keegan, celebrated for her performances in Brassic and the previous Coben adaptation Fool Me Once. They join an ensemble cast that includes comedian Tom Allen (Titanique), Mandeep Dhillon (After Life), James Buckley (The Inbetweeners), and Pearce Quigley (Small Prophets). Quay Street Productions, based in Manchester, is once again producing the series.
Harlan Coben expressed his excitement in a statement: "The Woods is a haunting and very personal story. It has everything you expect from us - twisty, turning, gasp-inducing - but at the core is a story of old love and yearning. Working with a cast led by Tom Bateman, Michelle Keegan, Mandeep Dhillon, Pearce Quigley, James Buckley, Tom Allen - it's an embarrassment of riches."
Plot Synopsis
Written by Danny Brocklehurst, the eight-part thriller begins with a mysterious disappearance 20 years ago that devastates a family. When new evidence emerges, barrister Paul 'Cope' Copeland (Bateman) becomes convinced his missing sister may still be alive, prompting a relentless investigation to uncover the truth.
The official synopsis teases: "Twenty years ago, Paul 'Cope' Copeland's sister Camille vanished from a summer camp in the woods, a loss that tore his family apart. Now a top barrister and devoted single father to ten-year-old daughter Cami, Cope appears to have rebuilt his life. But when the body of a man turns up - twenty years after he was supposedly murdered alongside Camille - Cope becomes convinced his sister may have made it out of the woods alive too. Determined to uncover the truth, Cope reunites with his first love, Lucy Silverfield (Keegan), and together they begin a search for answers, unearthing years of lies, cover-ups, and family secrets that threaten to destroy everything he has built."
Additional Cast and Release
Additional cast members include Rade Sherbedgia (Slow Horses), Shannon Watson (The Jetty), Pamela Nomvete (Andor), Amelia Eve (The Haunting of Bly Manor), Kerry Howard (Witless), Roger Barclay (Industry), Simon Lowe (Kirkmoore), Dean Fagan (Time), Tracy Ann-Oberman (Run Away), Charlotte Beaumont (Broadchurch), and Christopher Harper (Call the Midwife).
The Woods is set to be Netflix's 14th series adapted from Coben's bestselling works, following hits such as Missing You, Gone For Good, and the upcoming I Will Find You. A release date has not been confirmed, though previous British adaptations of Coben's thrillers have premiered in January. The Woods will be released on Netflix.
