BBC Unveils First Trailer for Lord of the Flies Television Adaptation

Image: BBC Press

By Jon Donnis

The BBC has released the first trailer and accompanying artwork for its forthcoming television adaptation of Lord of the Flies, offering an early look at the long awaited small screen debut of William Golding's novel. All episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Sunday 8 February, with BBC One broadcasting the series weekly from 9pm that same evening.

The four part drama has been adapted and directed by multi BAFTA award winners Jack Thorne and Marc Munden. Thorne, whose previous work includes Adolescence, His Dark Materials, Help and Enola Holmes, teams up again with Munden following their earlier collaborations on The Mark of Cain, National Treasure and Help. The series is executive produced by Joel Wilson at Eleven for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, and is co produced with Stan, which will air the drama in Australia. Sony Pictures Television will handle international distribution.

An ensemble cast of more than 30 boys leads the series, with many appearing on screen professionally for the first time. Winston Sawyers takes on the role of Ralph, with Lox Pratt as Jack, David McKenna as Piggy and Ike Talbut as Simon. They are joined by Thomas Connor as Roger, Noah and Cassius Flemyng as twins Sam and Eric, Cornelius Brandreth as Maurice and Tom Page Turner as Bill.

Lord of the Flies follows a group of schoolboys stranded on a tropical island after a fatal plane crash leaves them without adult supervision. Hoping to preserve order, they organise themselves under the leadership of Ralph, supported by Piggy, the group's intellectual voice. As time passes, Jack becomes increasingly focused on hunting and power, drawing others away from the group and setting the boys on a path from fragile civilisation towards inevitable tragedy.

Thorne's version marks the first television adaptation of the novel and remains faithful to Golding's original setting in the early 1950s on an unnamed Pacific island. The series explores the book's central themes of human nature, lost innocence and boyhood masculinity in greater emotional depth. Each episode is named after a key character, Ralph, Piggy, Simon and Jack, allowing the story to be viewed from shifting perspectives as the boys struggle to survive. The production has been made with the support of William Golding's family.

Music for the series has been created by a trio of high profile composers. Cristobal Tapia de Veer provides the score, while Hans Zimmer and Kara Talve of Bleeding Fingers Music have composed the main theme and additional music for the drama.