Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan takes the lead in BBC's boldest series yet
First launched in 2019, I Am… features a unique format where each episode is co-written by the lead actress and centres exclusively on her character's inner world. Previous seasons have seen powerhouse performances from Kate Winslet, Letitia Wright and Gemma Chan. Winslet even took home a BAFTA for her deeply affecting role, a precedent that places Coughlan in esteemed company.
This casting marks another milestone in Coughlan's streak of women-driven projects. While she gained mainstream attention as the witty Penelope Featherington in Netflix's Bridgerton, her sharp comedic turn in Derry Girls and appearance in Barbie have showcased her versatility. Her upcoming I Am… role promises a more intimate and dramatic shift, one shaped by her own voice.
Joining her in the upcoming season is Joe Cole, best known for playing John Shelby in Peaky Blinders. Cole has also earned acclaim in Gangs of London, bringing gritty intensity to every role. Their addition signals a high-calibre season ahead.
The series is the brainchild of Dominic Savage, who both created and writes it. Known for his emotionally raw storytelling, Savage has long championed narratives that blur the line between fiction and lived experience. The new season will once again be produced by Krishnendu Majumdar and backed by Me+You Productions.
As anticipation builds, Coughlan's involvement already has fans curious about the story she'll choose to tell. With the actress helping shape her own narrative, expectations are high for something fearless and resonant.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Margot Robbie in talks to star in Tim Burton's Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman remake
Margot Robbie is in early talks to star in and produce Tim Burton's remake of Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman for Warner Bros., continuing her successful collaboration with the studio following Barbie. If the deal is finalized, Robbie would produce the project through her production company, LuckyChap, alongside partners Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara. The film reimagines the 1958 cult sci-fi horror classic, in which a wealthy heiress grows to massive size after an alien encounter and seeks revenge on her unfaithful husband. Tim Burton, fresh off the success of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, is attached to direct and produce the film alongside Andrew Mittman and Tommy Harper. Kai Dolbashian is also on board as executive producer. Although Gillian Flynn wrote the first draft of the screenplay, she has since exited due to other commitments, and the team is now searching for a new writer. Robbie's final involvement is expected to depend on the next version of the script. Warner Bros. is reportedly eager to reunite with both LuckyChap and Burton, having seen major box office returns from Barbie and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Robbie's Barbie became the studio's highest-grossing film ever, while Burton's latest sequel earned $452 million worldwide. Robbie will next star in Wuthering Heights, directed by Emerald Fennell, and LuckyChap is also developing a new Ocean's Eleven prequel. The project marks another major genre venture for Warner Bros. and continues Robbie's reign as one of Hollywood's most in-demand talents.
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Express Tribune
'Wednesday' promises 'bigger and better' Addams family
Wednesday will be released in two four-episode instalments. Photo: File Hit Netflix series Wednesday expands the Addams Family world as it returns to screens nearly three years after the show launched in November 2022. Season Two of the dark fantasy series premiered at London's Westminster on Wednesday, with its cast and creators walking a purple carpet outside Central Hall and Queen Elizabeth II Centre. Wednesday Season Two will be released in two four-episode instalments, with Part One dropping August 6 and Part Two out on September 3. The new season sees Wednesday Addams, played by Jenna Ortega, returning to Nevermore Academy as a celebrated hero, much to her dismay. The tetchy teen puts her detective hat back on to solve new supernatural mysteries, while dealing with glitches in her psychic powers. Wednesday also faces another nuisance – family. Her little brother Pugsley, played by Isaac Ordonez, starts his studies at Nevermore and their parents are a frequent presence on campus. "She's kind of knocked off her feet this season. So it's a lot of pressure," said Ortega. The series' creators and showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar said Wednesday returns "bigger and better". "There's more of the Addams Family this season," said Gough. "We learn more about the characters you got to meet in Season One and they have their own storylines." The sophomore season also introduces new characters, including Steve Buscemi's Nevermore principal Barry Dort and the Addams family matriarch Grandmama Hester Frump, played by Joanna Lumley. Pop star Lady Gaga makes a guest star appearance as a teacher in Part 2. Mother-daughter dynamics are at the heart of the new season, said Millar. "It's about mothers and daughters, it's three generations of Addams women together. It's also about learning to not be in control of everything, for Wednesday. And it's really always about female friendship and female sisterhood," he said. Ortega, 22, also executive produced the new season. Rather than control, it gave her "freedom" she said. "She's kind of our cast spokesperson. Any time I felt like something needed to be said or if I had any ideas, she was always like, 'come to me and we'll make it work'. She just looks out for us," Emma Myers, who plays Wednesday's roommate Enid Sinclair, said. Filmmaker Tim Burton also returns as one of the directors and executive producers.
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Express Tribune
'Peaky Blinders' creator to write 007 reboot
Steven Knight, the creator of gritty TV crime series Peaky Blinders, will write the highly anticipated next James Bond movie, studio Amazon MGM announced Thursday. Knight will work alongside previously announced director Denis Villeneuve (Dune) to bring the world's most famous fictional spy back to the big screen after a prolonged absence. Amazon MGM Studios acquired creative control of the 007 movies in February, and has moved quickly to get one of Hollywood's most valuable franchises back into production. There has been no new Bond film since 2021's No Time To Die. Knight is best known as the mind behind violent British gangster series Peaky Blinders, which was set in industrial England at the turn of the 20th century and became a global hit. Running for six seasons, and with a Netflix film version currently in the works, Peaky Blinders turbo-charged the careers of leading man Cillian Murphy, alongside a stellar supporting cast including Tom Hardy, Anya Taylor-Joy and Kingsley Ben-Adir. In addition to Peaky Blinders, Knight also co-created the wildly popular television quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and has penned four novels. The Birmingham, England-based screenwriter, producer and director's other TV credits include Taboo, See, This Town, and All the Light We Cannot See. The Bond films, based on Ian Fleming's novels, have earned more than USD7 billion collectively at the global box office since debuting in 1962. No release date or title has yet been set for the film franchise's 26th instalment. And despite frenzied speculation among fans, there has been no announcement on which actor will replace Daniel Craig as the suave British super-spy. Among the actors most discussed to be the next Bond are Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson, Jacob Elordi, and Ben-Adir - but Amazon MGM has so far refused to disclose the franchise's most closely guarded secret.
