Acclaimed Actors Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen to Star in BBC and Starz Adaptation of David Nicholls’ Bestselling Novel ‘You Are Here’
The highly anticipated BBC and Starz adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestselling novel ‘You Are Here’ has announced its lead cast, with the talented Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen set to star in the eight-part series. The adaptation, penned by the prolific author himself, will be produced by the acclaimed Element Pictures, with Lenny Abrahamson, the director of the hit series ‘Normal People,’ at the helm.
Element Pictures, the production company behind the critically acclaimed series ‘Normal People,’ will produce the adaptation in collaboration with the BBC. Fremantle, the parent company of Element Pictures, will oversee the international sales rights, with De Maio Entertainment managing the partnership with Starz, which has greenlit the show alongside the BBC.
‘You Are Here,’ set along the picturesque coast-to-coast walking trail from the Lake District to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire, England, will be filmed in the stunning Lake District and around Manchester. The series will follow the journey of Michael and Marnie, played by Macfadyen and Foy respectively, as they embark on an epic walk along the trail.
According to the synopsis, ‘When a mutual friend throws them together, Marnie and Michael unexpectedly find themselves setting off on an epic walk. Against the odds, they end up on the brink of a relationship that neither was looking for, but which might be exactly the one they both need.’
David Nicholls, the author behind the bestselling novel ‘One Day,’ expressed his excitement to be working on the adaptation, stating, ‘I’m so delighted to be working on You Are Here with Element, the BBC, Starz, and Lenny, whose work I’ve admired for many years.’
Nicholls praised the casting of Macfadyen and Foy, saying, ‘Matthew and Claire are both just dream casting, wonderful in comedy and drama, so detailed and thoughtful and sympathetic.’
The intention with the novel, Nicholls added, was to write a close-up study of a relationship, set against the magnificent landscape of the coast-to-coast walking trail. The same ambition, he said, is being carried over to the adaptation, to make something both intimate and epic, funny and dramatic, a romantic comedy with real emotion.
Lenny Abrahamson, the director of the series, described the novel as ‘such a beautiful love story – funny, profound and ultimately deeply hopeful.’
Element Pictures co-founder and executive producer Ed Guiney praised Abrahamson and Nicholls as ‘two of the most talented creators working today.’
Other executive producers on the series include Nicholls, Abrahamson, Foy, Macfadyen, Guiney, Andrew Lowe, and Emma Norton for Element Pictures, and Jonny Richards and Anna Ferguson for the BBC. The series is produced by Clare Shepherd.
According to Lindsay Salt, BBC Director of Drama, ‘Like countless others, I loved this book, packed full of charm, humor, heartache and joy. The combination of David’s wonderful scripts, Lenny back directing on the BBC, Element Pictures producing, and Claire and Mathew leading our cast is a real gift.’
Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming at Starz, expressed her excitement about the series, saying, ‘You Are Here is disarming, sly and deeply romantic. It captures something true and aching about the way we love now.’
