Apple TV+ has revealed the first look at the much anticipated six-episode Apple Original limited series “The Essex Serpent” based on Sarah Perry’s bestselling novel of the same name.
Directed by BAFTA Award-nominee Clio Barnard, from a script written by BAFTA Award-nominee Anna Symon, and featuring an all-star ensemble cast led by Emmy and SAG Award winner Claire Danes, Emmy Award nominee Tom Hiddleston, Frank Dillane, Clémence Poésy, and Hayley Squires, “The Essex Serpent” follows London widow Cora Seaborne (Danes) who moves to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. She forms an unlikely bond with the village vicar (Hiddleston), but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature.
The original novel was described by The Guardian as a “word-of-mouth bookselling success”, and despite the publisher, Serpent’s Tail originally setting a modest sales target of 5,000 hardback copies, by February 2021, publishing industry title The Bookseller reported that Perry’s novel has sold 359,747 copies across all editions. The novel also has also picked up various awards including a British Book Award for 2016 Book of the Year and Waterstones Book of the Year 2016.
Barnard and Symon also serve as executive producers alongside Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, and Patrick Walters. The series is produced for Apple TV+ by See-Saw Films.
It has also been confirmed today that “The Essex Serpent” will debut globally with its first two episodes on Friday, May 13, 2022.
