Paramount+ announces The Crow Girl
March 11, 2024
Paramount+ UK & Ireland has announced the commission of a new original UK drama series The Crow Girl (6 x 60”), with Eve Myles, Katherine Kelly and Dougray Scott cast in the lead roles.
From Emmy-winning creative team Buccaneer (Irvine Welsh’s Crime, Marcella) and adapted from the trilogy of novels by Erik Axl Sund, The Crow Girl is a multi-faceted contemporary psychological thriller.
The Crow Girl begins with the gruesome discovery of a teenage boy’s body discarded in plain sight. Determined to find who is responsible, DCI Jeanette Kilburn (Eve Myles: Hijack, Broadchurch, A Very English Scandal) joins forces with psychotherapist Sophia Craven (Katherine Kelly: Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Liar, Inside No.9) to hunt the killer despite opposition from her superiors including confidant DI Lou Stanley (Dougray Scott: Irvine Welsh’s Crime, Vigil).
The investigation takes them into a dangerous world of historic abuse and murder. Together they uncover a chain of shocking events that have gone overlooked for decades, as well as evidence of police corruption. As the body count rises and the two women are dragged into the depths of the murders, an intimacy starts to form between them, and so begins a complex, twisted love story. All the while, the killer is inching ever closer to home.
Welsh star Eve Myles has had an extensive career on screen, most recently starring in Apple’s Hijack opposite Idris Elba. Her previous credits include the title role of Faith in 3 series of Keeping Faith a record-breaking show for the BBC, 2 series of We Hunt Together, A Very English Scandal, Cold Feet, Victoria and Broadchurch. Eve also played the much-loved role of Gwen Cooper in cult classics Doctor Who and 4 series of Torchwood.
Award-winning actress Katherine Kelly is a well-known face on British television, appearing in key roles in The Long Shadow, Criminal: UK, and Innocent. Most recently Kelly played Angela Van Den Bogerd in the hugely successful 2024 drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Katherine also recently played Lynne in Inside No.9.
Emmy and BAFTA-winning Dougray Scott is an esteemed Scottish film and TV actor best known for the hit films Ever After and Deep Impact, as well as the second instalment in the hit Mission: Impossible franchise. Recently, Dougray has starred in Vigil, A Town Called Malice, and an adaptation of fellow Scotsman Irvine Welsh’s Crime.
Myles said: “Jeanette is such a compelling character. As soon as I read the script, I knew I wanted to explore her story in more detail. It’s been a really terrific first few weeks on set working alongside a team of such incredible talented people!”
Kelly added: “I’m delighted to get started on this absorbing story filming in beautiful Bristol. The book is thrilling and Milly Thomas’ scripts are even better, and I am excited to start unpicking the character of Sophia as events in the series unfold.”
Scott commented: “I am thrilled to get started on The Crow Girl and I am really looking forward to working with all of the extremely talented people on this production.”
Also joining the cast are Clara Rugaard (I am Mother, Press Play, The Rising) as Victoria Burkeman, Victoria Hamilton (COBRA, The Crown, Life) as Superintendent Verity Pound, Elliot Edusah (Django, 1917, Pirates) is DC Mike Dilliston, Chloe Sweetlove (My Husband’s Double Life, Tutankhamun, Our Fathers) plays Madeleine Burkeman and Lee Boardman (Enola Holmes 2, Andor, Outlander) is David White.
Tony Wood and Richard Tulk-Hart are executive producers for Buccaneer along with Milly Thomas who adapted the series for the screen. Charles Martin and Rebecca Rycroft are both directors of the series with Andy Mosse serving as producer. ITV Studios will distribute The Crow Girl internationally.
The Crow Girl was commissioned by Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer, UK, and Paul Testar for Paramount+. On the new series order, Cardwell said “We are thrilled to be working with Buccaneer again on the adaption of this gripping novel. Eve, Katherine and Dougray are the perfect leads for this series, and I can’t wait to see them bring these characters to life”.
Tony Wood, Executive Producer and CEO of Buccaneer, said: “We are delighted to bring the best-selling work of Erik Axl Sund to life on screen with The Crow Girl for Paramount+. The first few weeks of filming in Bristol have been great, with the excellent cast and crew.”
Screenwriter Milly Thomas said: “I’ve been aching to dive into this story ever since I got my paws on the strange, twisty beast of a novel and to be making this show alongside the fierce talents of Paramount+ and Buccaneer is a real joy. Seeing Eve, Katherine, Dougray and the rest of our incredible cast at work is so exhilarating and I can’t wait to finally share it with audiences.”
The Crow Girl has commenced filming in Bristol.