Jamie Dornan will star in a new period drama written by the creator of The Fall, the serial killer drama that made his name long before we’d heard of Christian Grey.
Deadline reports the Fifty Shades star will play Liam Ward in Death and Nightingales, a three-part adaptation of Eugene McCabe‘s 1992 book of the same name.
Set in rural Northern Ireland in 1885, the book tells the story of 25-year-old Beth Winters (Little Women‘s Ann Skelly), who, over a 24-hour period, tries to leave the home of her domineering stepfather Billy (The Americans‘ Matthew Rhys) and run off with the charming Liam.
We can’t blame her, although we also can’t help thinking how things don’t usually work out well for women who fall for Mr. Dornan’s charms.
Sure enough, the program synopsis doesn’t bode well: “As decades of pain and betrayal finally build to a devastating climax, Death and Nightingales is a powerful and gripping drama that follows a woman struggling to control her own destiny and will illuminate tensions that tear both families and nations apart.”
The drama will be written and directed by Allan Cubitt, the man behind The Fall and Jamie’s previous character, serial killer Paul Spector.
Jamie expressed excitement to be working with Cubitt again, saying: “I’m thrilled to be reunited with Allan and his brilliant scripts to play such an intriguing character like Liam Ward and to return to Northern Ireland and BBC Two.”
There’s no confirmation of a U.S. air date yet, but the BBC has confirmed filming will begin this summer in Northern Ireland.
Are you excited to see Jamie Dornan in period costume?
