Paramount Global’s Paramount+ on Wednesday unveiled the cast for upcoming U.K. original series The Doll Factory based on the novel of the same name by Elizabeth Macneal.
The six-episode hour-long drama, produced by Buccaneer, will star Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna) as Iris, who paints dolls and dreams of becoming an artist, Éanna Hardwicke (Normal People) as Silas, a taxidermist who owns a shop filled with his creations, Mirren Mack (The Witcher: Blood Origin) as Rose, Iris’ twin sister who works alongside her in the doll shop, and George Webster (Wedding Season) as Louis, a painter and member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Also joining the ensemble cast are Pippa Haywood (Bodyguard), Sharlene Whyte (Stephen), newcomer Reece Kenwyne-Mpudzi, Freddy Carter (Shadow and Bone), Saoirse Monica Jackson (Derry Girls), Laurie Kynaston (The Sandman), Jim Caesar (The Witcher), Akshay Khanna (Chloe), Aysha Kala (The Undeclared War) and Nell Hudson (Outlander).
Set in London in 1850, The Doll Factory tells the story of Iris, Silas, “who dreams of one day finding an item so unique he will be catapulted to fame,” and Louis, “a painter searching for his next muse,” according to a plot description. “When Iris meets Silas, and then Louis, she is offered an opportunity to escape and start a new life. To do so, she must abandon her sister, sacrifice her reputation and launch herself into the unknown. But as Iris’ world expands, a story of dark obsession begins to unfold.”
Buccaneer, the London-headquartered production company behind such scripted series as Marcella and Crime, is producing the show. Charley Miles is adapting the series for screen and will also serve as executive producer. Sacha Polak (Hanna, Dirty God) is directing the series.
