The Midwich Cuckoos: release date, cast, trailer and latest news for Keeley Hawes drama
Keeley Hawes stars in Sky Original drama series The Midwich Cuckoos, based on the book of the same name by John Wyndham.
It looks like new Sky Original drama The Midwich Cuckoos, starring Bodyguard's Keeley Hawes and Homeland's Max Beesley, might be just as creepy as its source material.
The series is based on John Wyndham's book of the same name, a sci-fi classic set in Midwich, a quiet and peaceful commuter town where not a lot happens – that is, until a mysterious event unfolds and changes the lives of the villagers forever.
After everyone mysteriously falls unconscious, every woman of child-bearing age in the town wakes up pregnant.
And if you’re wondering what the children born from the event are like, a trailer for the new drama previously gave us a pretty good indication.
"I can't sleep, because bad things will happen," one child tells psychotherapist Dr Susannah Zellaby (Hawes) and Officer Paul Kirby (Beesley) in the clip.
Writer and creator David Farr has previously spoken about his inspiration for adapting Wyndham's work, saying: "I first read The Midwich Cuckoos when I was 12. I was living in a small town in 1980s Britain. Everything about the book rang true to me and terrified me.
"An invasion of a small community by a hostile and ruthless force. Apparently innocent children as a force of huge malevolent power. It got under my skin.
“As I've grown older, the story has never ceased to exert a grip. The idea that we may birth our own destruction is so simple and frightening. That as a mother or a father, the being we love most in the world may turn on us. It's the stuff of nightmares."
Read on for everything you need to know about The Midwich Cuckoos.
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The Midwich Cuckoos release date
The Midwich Cuckoos finally has an official release date, with the series set to land on Sky Max on 2nd June 2022 – sign up for Sky TV here.
It will then become available on streaming service NOW on 3rd June 2022.
Filming kicked off back in May 2021.
The Midwich Cuckoos cast
Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard) leads the cast of The Midwich Cuckoos as Dr Susannah Zellaby, a psychotherapist who's drafted in to help support those affected by the strange event.
Speaking about her casting, Keeley said in a statement: “I’m absolutely delighted to be working with Sky and the brilliant Ruth Kenley-Letts on David Farr’s superb adaptation of The Midwich Cuckoos. I’m very much looking forward to working with the hugely talented Max Beesley and the amazing cast and I can’t wait to enter the strange and unsettling world of Midwich!”
Meanwhile, Max Beesley (Homeland) plays the role of police officer DCI Paul Kirby, while Synnøve Karlsen (Last Night In Soho, Clique) will appear as Hawes’ onscreen daughter, Cassie.
They'll be joined by an all-star cast including Cherrelle Skeete (Hanna), Aisling Loftus (A Discovery of Witches), Ukweli Roach (Blindspot), Lara Rossi (Robin Hood), Lewis Reeves (I May Destroy You), Rebekah Staton (Raised by Wolves) and Anneika Rose (Line of Duty).
While details of their roles are yet to be revealed, key potential characters include Richard and Janet Gayford, a married couple who provided the reader's way in to the events of the novel; and Angela and Gordon Zellaby, who also play a crucial role in the events of the book.
The Midwich Cuckoos plot
As detailed above, The Midwich Cuckoos revolves around a mysterious event in the small town of Midwich.
After everyone mysteriously falls unconscious, every woman of child-bearing age in the town wakes up to their worst nightmares – they've somehow fallen pregnant.
Series star Hawes recently shed some light on the plot of the new adaptation alongside her cast mates and series creator David Farr in a new featurette exclusive to RadioTimes.com.
“Our version of the Midwich Cuckoos is set in the picture-perfect town of Midwich, where nothing very much happens,” Hawes explains in the new footage.
“Something very odd happens to the women in particular,” Hawes continues. “They have all fallen pregnant... mysteriously.”
Farr added: “The phrase ‘Community horror’ has been used. I’m not convinced it’s completely a horror.
“But it does have elements, certainly. And it certainly portrays a community under intense pressure. Will that community crack and destroy itself?”
He continued: “The experience that these characters have... some of them think, ‘actually all my dreams have come true, and this is what I’ve wanted all my life',” Hawes adds.
“And it becomes apparent quite quickly that you should be careful what you wish for.” Eek.
Is there a trailer for The Midwich Cuckoos?
Yes, as detailed above, a sinister trailer for The Midwich Cuckoos has landed, giving fans a first look at Hawes and Beeley in action as psychotherapist Dr Susannah Zellaby and police officer DCI Paul Kirby, respectively.
Watch below:
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