The BBC has released new pictures of their upcoming adaptation of Les Misérables – featuring a ginger Olivia Colman.

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Yes, Broadchurch star and The Crown series three lead Colman will sport red hair for her role as the rapacious Madame Thénardier, the character played by Helena Bonham Carter in the 2012 movie adaptation.

Elsewhere, we get our first glimpse of Utopia’s Adeel Akhtar as Monsieur Thénardier, the husband of Colman’s character…

...and The Durrells’ Josh O’Connor (as Marius) and Nocturnal Animals’ Ellie Bamber (Cosette) too.

The images follow previously released images of Lily Collins as orphan Fantine, and stars Dominic West (Jean Valjean) with David Oyelowo (Javert).

The six-part BBC series will be set during a period of great civic unrest in France and centres around a French convict, Jean Valjean, and his struggles to escape his past, while being hunted for years by the persistent Inspector Javert.

It’s also a story about a young and desperate mother, Fantine, who is forced to leave her daughter and become a prostitute to earn money.

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Les Misérables is coming soon to BBC1

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Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

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