First Look at LORD OF THE FLIES: Jack Thorne’s Gritty BBC Adaptation Brings Golding’s Classic to Life
The first images from the BBC and Stan’s new adaptation of Lord of the Flies have arrived, giving us a glimpse at Jack Thorne’s take on William Golding’s timeless and haunting novel.
The four-part limited series marks the first time Lord of the Flies has been adapted for television, with Marc Munden (National Treasure) directing and Thorne (Adolescence) writing the scripts. The project was developed with the full support of the Golding family.
Produced by Eleven (Sex Education) for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, and co-produced with Stan, the series will also air in Australia, with Sony Pictures Television handling international distribution.
The newly released photos capture the young cast deep in the Malaysian wilderness, bringing the chaos of Golding’s story to life. Many of the boys are newcomers to acting, which adds a raw authenticity to the project.
The cast includes Winston Sawyers as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, David McKenna as Piggy, and Ike Talbut as Simon. Thomas Connor plays Roger, Noah and Cassius Flemming are the twins Sam and Eric, Cornelius Brandreth portrays Maurice, and Tom Page-Turner appears as Bill. They are joined by more than 30 others who make up the island’s “biguns” and “littluns.”
Originally published in 1954, Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of British schoolboys stranded on a remote island after a plane crash.
At first, they attempt to maintain order and build a semblance of society, with Ralph trying to lead and Piggy serving as his rational advisor. But Jack’s obsession with hunting and power slowly unravels their fragile civility, leading the boys from structure to savagery.
Thorne’s adaptation remains true to Golding’s vision, staying in the early 1950s setting on an unnamed Pacific island, but promises to dig deeper into the emotional and psychological layers of the story. It explores the darker corners of human nature, the collapse of innocence, and the volatile energy of boyhood masculinity.
Each of the four episodes is named after one of the central characters… Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and Jack, offering a focused perspective on the unraveling of the group and the moral decay that follows.
I’m looking forward to watch this.
