The BBC has set a November premiere date for their upcoming adaptation of ‘The War of the Worlds‘ it has been announced.
Set in Edwardian England, this new adaptation of H.G. Wells’ seminal tale – the first alien invasion story in literature – follows George (Rafe Spall – ‘Black Mirror’, ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’) and his partner Amy (Eleanor Tomlinson – ‘Poldark’, ‘The Nevers’) as they attempt to defy society and start a life together. Rupert Graves (‘Sherlock’, ‘The White Queen’) is Frederick, George’s elder brother, and Robert Carlyle (‘Once Upon a Time’, ‘Trainspotting’) plays Ogilvy, an astronomer and scientist. ‘The War of the Worlds’ tells their story as they face the escalating terror of an alien invasion, fighting for their lives against an enemy beyond their comprehension.
The story begins when a mysterious capsule lands in 1905, Woking, Surrey, and lovers George and Amy join the curious crowd to examine it. As events unfold, the couple are caught in the middle of a Martian invasion of Earth, fighting for their love and their lives against an enemy beyond their comprehension.
This first British television adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic novel comes from Peter Harness (‘Wallander’, ‘Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell’), and is directed by award-winning director Craig Viveiros (‘And Then There Were None’, ‘Rillington Place’). This new three-part drama is produced by Betsan Morris Evans, (‘NW’, ‘The City And The City’) and Mammoth Screen for BBC One.
Just to avoid any confusion, this is not the only adaption of H.G. Wells’ seminal work coming this year. Urban Myth Films also have an adaptation from ‘Misfits’ creator Howard Overman, which will air on Fox in the UK later in 2019. That version is more of a “reimagining” of the story, whereas the BBC version sticks more closely to the original novel.
‘The War of the Worlds‘ premieres Sunday, 17th November 2019 at 9pm on BBC One.
