Netflix has today announced the cast for the soon-to-debut eight-part drama series “HALF BAD,” an adaptation of the trilogy of books from Sally Green (“Half Bad,” “Half Wild,” “Half Lost”). In 2014, the first novel in the trilogy set the Guinness World Record as the ‘Most Translated Book by a Debut Author, Pre-publication’, after selling in 45 languages prior to its UK publication.
Jay Lycurgo (“Titans,” The Batman, “I May Destroy You”), Nadia Parkes (Domina, Starstruck) and Emilien Vekemans (Transferts) are set to star alongside an exciting mixture of new and familiar faces including Isobel Jesper Jones, Paul Ready (“Motherland,” “The Terror”), David Gyasi (“Carnival Row,” “Troy: Fall of a City”), Kerry Fox (“Conversations with Friends,” “Last Tango in Halifax”) and Liz White (“Unforgotten,” “Brexit: The Uncivil War”), Karen Connell (“Vikings”), Fehinti Balogun (“I May Destroy You,” Dune), Misha Butler (“Kiss Me First”) as well as multiple Brit Award and Mercury Music Prize nominee Roísín Murphy making her drama debut.
Penned by acclaimed British screenwriter, Joe Barton, with additional writing by Ryan J Brown, Dionne Edwards, Helen Kingston, and Emer Kenny, “Half Bad” tells the tale of sixteen-year-old Nathan (Lycurgo), the illegitimate son of the world’s most dangerous witch. Caught between the mutually hostile sides of his heritage, Nathan is constantly monitored. But as the boundaries between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fray, Nathan – along with mischievous Annalise and charismatic Gabriel – will soon discover who he truly is. Half Bad is a darkly humorous, romantic, roller-coaster ride of a young adult show. It’s a story about the indomitable will to survive and defy the odds.
The series was previously commissioned in the UK as part of Netflix’s continued investment in the UK film and television industry and commitment to building Britain as a global production hub and is produced for Netflix by The Imaginarium, the production company co-founded by Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish.
The show is also produced by Adrian Sturges (The Third Day, Chimerica) and Steve Clark–Hall (Avenue 5, The State), executive produced by Joe Barton, Andy Serkis, Jonathan Cavendish, Will Tennant, Phil Robertson and Colm McCarthy (Black Mirror: Black Museum, The Girl with all the Gifts), who directs the first four episodes. Rachna Suri (Mr Whippy, Our Lad) and Debs Paterson (Willow, Domina) also serve as directors. The band Let’s Eat Grandma – Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth – have composed the score for the series.
Commenting on bringing Green’s trilogy to life for Netflix, Barton said: “It’s been a complete joy getting the chance to adapt and expand the world of Half Bad. I love the characters that Sally created and am extremely excited that we have such a brilliant cast and crew on hand to breathe life into them and set them off on their many adventures.”
“Half Bad” is confirmed to be “coming to Netflix in 2022.”
