James R | On 30, Sep 2019

The first trailer for the BBC’s new War of the Worlds has landed.

H.G. Wells’ classic sci-fi title is no stranger to adaptations, from Orson Welles’ iconic radio play to Steven Spielberg’s Tom Cruise-starring blockbuster. This major new three-part drama, produced by Mammoth Screen, is penned by Peter Harness (Wallander, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell) and marks the first British TV adaptation of the book.

Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark, Loving Vincent) and Rafe Spall (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The Big Short) lead the cast alongside Robert Carlyle (T2:Trainspotting, Once Upon A Time) and Rupert Graves (Swimming with Men, Sherlock), with Craig Viveiros (And Then There Were None, Rillington Place) at the helm.

Set in Edwardian England, the series follows George (played by Rafe Spall) and his partner Amy (Eleanor Tomlinson) as they attempt to defy society and start a life together. Rupert Graves is Frederick, George’s elder brother, and Robert Carlyle 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.

Tomlinson says: “I’m delighted to be taking on the Martians with Rafe Spall in Mammoth Screen’s adaptation of The War Of The Worlds. I’ve been a fan of Craig Viveiros’ work for a while, so creating this world with him at the helm is very exciting.”

Spall says: “I am thrilled to be a part of bringing this much loved story to the small screen. I couldn’t be in better company with Craig Viveiros, Peter Harness, all at Mammoth Screen and of course, the very talented Eleanor Tomlinson.”

Damien Timmer, Executive Producer of Mammoth Screen, says: “Here we are, making the original and best alien invasion story for the BBC One audience – it doesn’t get much better than this! With a stellar cast and some very scary Martians up our sleeve we look forward to terrifying large sections of the audience soon!”

Music for the show is scored by critically acclaimed composer Russ Davies and the cinematographer is James Friend BSC (Rillington Place).

Here’s the trailer:

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