Olivia Colman and Susan Sarandon join cast for ‘provocative’ new drama

Oscar winner Olivia Colman and Hollywood star Susan Sarandon have joined the cast for the “provocative” new drama, Army of Shadows.The pair will appear in the Channel 4 series which is inspired by the tale of the French resistance during Nazi occupation in the Second World War but is set in Britain.The thriller, which also stars Rivals actor Alex Hassell and Game Of Thrones’ Kit Harington, is a reimagining of the Joseph Kessel 1944 novel and the 1969 film adaptation by Jean Pierre Melville.Olivia Colman (Ben Whitley/PA)PA ArchiveIt follows former soldier, Barry, as he builds a secret resistance network amidst a growing threat from a ruthless minister who will do anything to maintain order in an occupied Great Britain.Sarandon, 79, is best known for Thelma and Louise as well as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, while Colman, 52, is known for her roles in Broadchurch and The Favourite.Written by MobLand creator Ronan Bennett, the six-part series will be directed by Lisa Gunning and is being developed and produced with the support of the Melville family and the Kessel estate, which is controlled by the Irish Red Cross.It will also star House Of The Dragon’s Paddy Considine and Barbie and Ugly Betty actress America Ferrera.Susan Sarandon (Ian West/PA)PA ArchiveGwawr Lloyd, interim head of drama at Channel 4, previously described the series as a “gripping, provocative and action-packed drama that feels both epic in scale and strikingly relevant”.The series is co-produced by Studiocanal and Two Cities Television, with filming already under way in Manchester, Liverpool, London and Paris.