Commissioned by the BBC and a co-production between BBC One and Netflix, Watership Down the television series is bringing a brand new interpretation to Richard Adams' story to screens across the world.
Olivia Colman will star
The synopsis for the mini-series, made up of four 60-minute episodes reads: "Set in the idyllic rural landscape of southern England, this tale of adventure, courage, and survival follows a band of rabbits on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, towards a promised land and a more perfect society."
Written by BAFTA-nominated writer Tom Bidwell, and directed by Noam Murro, a whole host of famous faces have been revealed to star.
James McAvoy will take on the role of Hazel, whilst Nicholas Hoult and Sir Ben Kingsley join the cast as Fiver and General Woundwort respectively.
John Boyega will be voicing Bigwig, Gemma Arterton is Clover and Miles Jupp will play Blackberry. Freddie Fox, Olivia Colman and Anne-Marie Duff will all also star as Captain Holly, Strawberry and Hyzenthlay.
BBC Drama Commissioning Editor Matthew Read comments: "Before there was Harry Potter there was Watership Down, Richard Adams' novel is one of the most successful books of all time and one of the biggest selling books in history. It is fantastic to have the opportunity to bring a modern classic to a mainstream BBC One audience with such an incredible roster of actors alongside the talented team overseeing the animation. This fantastic take on the novel will unite the whole family, and bring this classic story to a new generation."
Vice President Global Television, Netflix and Executive Producer Larry Tanz adds: "We jumped at the chance to get in early and work alongside the BBC and 42 to bring this classic English tale to our members around the world. This novel presentation of Adam's work pairs great talent with beautiful animation and will delight existing fans and capture a whole new audience for this timeless story."
Created in CG by an animation team led by Pete Dodd and Hugo Sands, the pair will work along with animation studio Brown Bag Films based in Dublin.