WITCH HUNT: SARAH LANCASHIRE LEADS CAST OF NEW NETFLIX DRAMA FROM WRITER ABI MORGAN

Netflix have announced new drama Witch Hunt, starring Sarah Lancashire (Black Doves) and written by Abi Morgan (The Split). The show will be produced by SISTER Pictures.

When August Howell, a descendent of the ‘Witch of Cambridge’ is released after three decades in prison for drowning her three young daughters, she comes home to a community who does not want her back. 

But when concern grows that her return has triggered a modern day witch hunt in the university town, the police must turn to August’s last surviving daughter, Professor Wren Howell, academic and investigative psychologist to help find the killer as past resentments and local folklore collide.

Sarah Lancashire said: "I’m thrilled to be working with Abi Morgan, Jane Featherstone, SISTER Pictures and Netflix on Witch Hunt. It’s a brilliantly imagined and utterly compelling story, with a deeply complex character at its heart. There’s so much to explore in August, and I can’t wait to begin."

Abi Morgan, Creator, Writer & Executive Producer said: "I am delighted to be bringing Witch Hunt to Netflix. A dark, yet emotionally charged love story between August Howell,  newly released from prison for murdering her children, and the daughter she has left behind, after thirty years inside. I last worked with Sarah Lancashire over 25 years ago...

"I have been chasing the perfect role for her ever since. This is it. I can’t think of anyone better to embody the terrifying tenderness of ’the Witch of Cambridge.’ It’s gothic horror meets dark thriller laced with modern day witchcraft,  raising the question can August ever be forgiven for her crime?"

Jane Featherstone, Executive Producer for SISTER Pictures, said: “What I’ve always loved about Abi’s writing is the humanity she brings to even the darkest stories. Witch Hunt is a fascinating contemporary thriller, with three generations of women at its heart and all the wit and compassion that make her work so distinctive...

"I’ve been lucky enough to work with Sarah Lancashire over the past few years, and she still surprises me every time. She is extraordinary, and I’m thrilled she’ll be playing August. We are delighted to be collaborating once again with Netflix, whose belief in Abi’s vision and commitment to bold storytelling make them the greatest of partners for this series. We can’t wait to share it with audiences around the world."

More details will be announced in due course.