EXCLUSIVE: Bella Ramsey has set their next role – as the titular daughter in Daisy Haggard‘s Channel 4 thriller drama Maya. We can also reveal Haggard will make her directorial debut in the Two Brothers Pictures-produced show, alongside co-director Jamie Donoughue (Doctor Who).
Time and The Last of Us star Ramsey will co-lead the six-part series alongside BAFTA-nominated Back to Life star Haggard, who is the writer and creator.
Ramsey will play Maya, the teenage daughter of Anna (Haggard). The pair leave their lives in London and are forced into a witness protection program with new identities in a small rural Scottish town. The trauma of their past continues to haunt them as the attempt to settle into a new life, with two hitmen intent on tracking them down.
Channel 4 unveiled the series back in February, as part of a drama slate also including a new version of A Woman of Substance, whose original series remains the UK network’s most-watched drama to date, and Adolescence writer Jack Thorne’s latest series, Falling.
Maya is being billed as atmospheric, darkly comic, aping the warm and humorous style of Haggard’s previous shows, which include the Two Brothers-made Back to Life and FX comedy Breeders. Themes in the series include predatory male behavior, family and love, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and her daughter.
Shooting is taking place entirely in Scotland later this year, with further casting announced in due course.
“This story and these characters Daisy has created are so alive, nuanced, wickedly funny and scarily dark,” said Ramsey. “Every character jumps off the page, the dialogue is incredibly witty and I’m so excited to get to play Maya opposite Daisy’s Anna.”
Ramsey’s star continues to rise with the role, and comes after Season 2 of HBO’s drama The Last of Us came to a close in the U.S. with a cross-platform audience of 3.7 million. Last year, we reported they are set to portray infamous British terror suspect Samantha Lewthwaite, aka the White Widow, in Bruce Goodinson’s Girl Next Door and was also cast alongside the likes of Louis Partridge and Ruby Stokes in George Jaques’ Sunny Dancer. They have appeared in BBC children’s series The Worst Witch and Netflix’s animated show Hilda, but first broke through into the mainstream for their role as the fearless Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones before landing the lead role in The Last of Us.
Maya will not be the first time Haggard and Ramsey have played mother-daughter roles on-screen, coming after the former played Johanna, parent of Ramsey’s titular leader in the Netflix series Hilda.
“Ever since I first dreamt up this show, there has only ever been one Maya,” said Haggard. “I wrote the part with Bella so clearly in my head and I honestly still can’t believe they want to be part of it. Bella is pure magic, just insanely talented, and I can’t wait for us to work together. I’m also thrilled to be taking the leap into directing, and excited to have the opportunity to co-direct the series alongside the brilliant Jamie Donoughue.”
Haggard first came to prominence through roles in BBC comedies Uncle and Episodes, before she co-wrote and starred in BBC Three comedy Back to Life for two seasons. She starred opposite Martin Freeman in parenthood comedy series Breeders, which ran for four seasons, and appeared in Hilda. She also starred opposite to Peep Show‘s Paterson Joseph in BBC drama Boat Story, another Two Brothers series.
Maya was among the final commissions Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama Madden made before it emerged last month he is moving to Netflix in October. He ordered the show alongside Gemma Boswell, Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor, Drama. All3Media-owned Two Brothers is the producer, in association with All3Media International, which has international sales.
Boswell said: “We are thrilled to have Bella join the cast of Maya. It’s testament to the wit and depth of Daisy’s writing to entice such fantastic talent and we can’t wait to see the dynamic of Maya and Anna on-screen.”
Haggard is creator and writer and serves as an executive producer, along with Harry and Jack Williams, Sarah Hammond, Alex Mercer and Daisy Mount for Two Brothers. Kenny Tanner is Producer, Donoughue is co-director and co-executive producer and Shaheen Baig is casting director.
Two Brothers is among the UK’s most-prolific drama houses, having made shows such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Prime Video and BBC comedy-drama Fleabag, ITV’s Liar, BBC detective drama Baptiste, Boat Story for the BBC and Prime Video, and The Tourist, which stars Jamie Dornan and is for the BBC, HBO Max, Stan and Netflix.
Two Brothers’ Mount and Mercer added: “Bella Ramsey is one of the most incredible talents of their generation and the only Maya we had in mind to play alongside Daisy’s Anna. The two characters share such a unique and special relationship and are the heart and soul of the project and we know Bella and Daisy will bring them to life in a way that will resonate deeply with viewers.”
