David Farnor | On 13, Jun 2020

The Luminaries, BBC Two’s 19th century drama starring Eva Green and Himesh Patel, arrives this June, and a new trailer gives us our first glimpse of mysterious adventure.

Set on the Wild West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island in the boom years of the 1860s gold rush, the epic story of love, murder and revenge unfolds across two timelines. The first begins in 1866, with a mystery: a politician, Alastair Lauderback (Benedict Hardie), arrives at a cottage to find a woman, unconscious with opium; a Māori man, also unconscious; and a corpse. Lauderback brings the woman to town, where she is arrested for public intoxication and held at the jail.

The second takes us back nine months earlier to 1865, beginning on the day of Anna Wetherell’s (Eve Hewson) arrival in New Zealand. She is fresh-faced and full of promise. After a romantic first encounter, she agrees to meet with fellow passenger, Emery Staines (Himesh Patel), but the scheming fortune-teller Lydia Wells (Eva Green) has other designs. Anna is taken under Lydia’s wing, and Emery under the wing of former convict, Francis Carver (Marton Csokas).

The series will premiere on Sunday 21st June at 9pm on BBC Two, with Episode 2 on Monday 22nd July. Episodes will then air weekly on Sunday nights.

 

First look: Eva Green in BBC Two’s The Luminaries

22nd March 2019

Eva Green heads to BBC Two this year for new drama The Luminaries – and now, we have our first look at the Penny Dreadful star in action.

Green plays Lydia Wells in the adaption of Eleanor Catton’s 2013 Man Booker Prize-winning novel. The Luminaries tells an epic story of love, murder and revenge, as men and women travelled across the world to make their fortunes. It is a 19th century tale of adventure and mystery, set on the Wild West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island in the boom years of the 1860s gold rush.

The story follows defiant young adventurer Anna Wetherell, who has sailed from Britain to New Zealand to begin a new life. There she meets the radiant Emery Staines, an encounter that triggers a strange kind of magic that neither can explain. As they fall in love, driven together and apart by fateful coincidence, these star-crossed lovers begin to wonder: do we make our fortunes, or do our fortunes make us?

The six-part series also stars Eve Hewson (Robin Hood, The Knick, Bridge Of Spies) as Anna Wetherell, Himesh Patel (The Aeronauts, EastEnders) as Emery Staines and Australia’s Ewen Leslie (The Cry, Top Of The Lake: China Girl) as Crosbie Wells.

They are joined by an ensemble of antipodean acting talent, including Marton Csokas as Francis Carver (The Equalizer, Lord Of The Rings, Into The Badlands), Erik Thomson (The Code, Packed To The Rafters), Benedict Hardie (Hacksaw Ridge, The Light Between Oceans), Yoson An (Mortal Engines, Dead Lucky) and New Zealand newcomer Richard Te Are.

The series will be broadcast on BBC Two in the UK and TVNZ1 in New Zealand. Produced by Working Title Television and Southern Light Films, it is adapted for the screen by novelist Eleanor Catton and director Claire McCarthy (Ophelia, The Waiting City).

Filming is currently underway in New Zealand.

 

Eva Green to star in BBC Two’s The Luminaries

27th September

Eva Green will star in BBC Two’s adaptation of The Luminaries.

Based on the Man-Booker Prize winning novel of the same name, The Luminaries tells an epic story of love, murder and revenge, as men and women travelled across the world to make their fortunes. It is a 19th century tale of adventure and mystery, set on the Wild West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island in the boom years of the 1860s gold rush.

Produced by Working Title Television, it is being adapted for the screen by novelist Eleanor Catton and director Claire McCarthy (Ophelia, The Waiting City). The story follows defiant young adventurer Anna Wetherell, who has sailed from Britain to New Zealand to begin a new life. There she meets the radiant Emery Staines, an encounter that triggers a strange kind of magic that neither can explain. As they fall in love, driven together and apart by fateful coincidence, these star-crossed lovers begin to wonder: do we make our fortunes, or do our fortunes make us?

Green will play Lydia Wells, alongside Eve Hewson as Anna Wetherell. New Zealand actor Marton Csokas (The Equalizer, Lord of the Rings, Into the Badlands) also joins as Francis Carver.

Green says: “I’m thrilled to be joining Working Title and this wonderful team. Eleanor has written a series of brilliant screenplays. I loved her original novel and it’s so exciting that her own screen adaptation reveals yet more exquisite material.”

Catton adds: “I’ve had tremendous fun adapting this novel for the screen and feel incredibly lucky to be working with such fantastic people across different art forms. Writing a novel is a solitary business, but writing for the screen is emphatically collaborative, and to see the world of The Luminaries enlarged and enriched in ways that go far beyond the scope of my own imagination has been a humbling and hugely exhilarating experience. I couldn’t be happier that the brilliant Claire McCarthy is at the helm, and I can’t wait to see this incredible cast bring the story to life.”

McCarthy comments: “Ever since I read Eleanor’s incredible novel I’ve been completely captivated by the rich world she has created. What an honor to bring this beautiful and original work to the screen. I’m delighted to be joining forces with such wonderful actors and dynamic creative team.”

The six-part series is produced by Working Title Television – a joint venture between NBCUniversal International Studios, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner and Southern Light Films for BBC Two, in association with TVNZ, Fremantle and Silver Reel. Filming kicks off in November in New Zealand.

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