A Netflix series adaptation of the Harlan Coben novel The Woods will star Tom Bateman (The Love Hypothesis, Hedda) as Paul “Cope” Copeland and Michelle Keegan (Brassic), who previously starred in the Coben Netflix hit Fool Me Once, as Lucy Silverfield, the streamer said in unveiling the cast on Wednesday.
Coben is an executive producer via his company Final Twist Productions. Danny Brocklehurst is the lead writer and executive producer. The Woods is produced by Quay Street Productions, with Nicola Shindler and Richard Fee as executive producers.
Also featured in the cast are Mandeep Dhillon (MobLand, After Life), Pearce Quigley (Small Prophets, The Gentlemen), Rade Sherbedgia (Slow Horses, Downton Abbey), James Buckley (The Inbetweeners, White Gold), Shannon Watson (Outrageous, The Jetty), Pamela Nomvete (Nightsleeper, Andor), Amelia Eve (Bly Manor, Leopard Skin), Kerry Howard (Witless, Him and Her), Roger Barclay (Industry, Andor), Simon Lowe (Kirkmoore, Miss Scarlet and The Duke), Dean Fagan (Time, Missed Call), Tom Allen (Titanique, The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice, Tracy-Ann Oberman (Run Away, Friday Night Dinner), Charlotte Beaumont (Broadchurch, Call the Midwife), amd Christopher Harper (Call the Midwife, Endeavour).
What’s The Woods about? “Twenty years ago, Paul ‘Cope’ Copeland’s sister Camille vanished from a summer camp in the woods, a loss that tore his family apart. Now a top barrister and devoted single father to 10-year-old daughter Cami, Cope appears to have rebuilt his life,” reads a synopsis. “But when the body of a man turns up – 20 years after he was supposedly murdered alongside Camille – Cope becomes convinced his sister may have made it out of the woods alive too. Determined to uncover the truth, Cope reunites with his first love, Lucy Silverfield, and together they begin a search for answers, unearthing years of lies, cover-ups, and family secrets that threaten to destroy everything he has built.”
The eight-episode series features directors Andy De Emmony (The Feud, Vigil), Claire Tailyour (The Blame, Beyond Paradise), and Isher Sahota (Run Away, Ridley).
Said Coben: “The Woods is a haunting and very personal story. It has everything you expect from us – twisty, turning, gasp-inducing -l- but at the core is a story of old love and yearning. Working with a cast led by Tom Bateman, Michelle Keegan, Mandeep Dhillon, Pearce Quigley, James Buckley, Tom Allen – it’s an embarrassment of riches.”
Said Brocklehurst: “It’s a great pleasure to be working with Netflix on another twisty emotional thriller. And what a cast we have gathered. Reuniting with Michelle Keegan is a dream and to be working with huge talent like Tom Bateman, Pearce Quigley, Kerry Howard and James Buckley is a joy. We are very fortunate”.
