Army Of Shadows: What Do We Know About Ronan Bennett’s New Thriller?

Channel 4’s upcoming thriller Army of Shadows stands to be the first adaptation of French journalist Joseph Kessel’s 1943 novel of the same name in more than 55 years. Most recently, the novel – which was one of the very first written accounts honouring the underground heroes of the French Resistance during WWII – was brought to the big screen by Jean Pierre Melville in 1969. But the Channel 4 limited series, launching with six episodes, will take viewers into the heart of a new, eerily dark Great Britain.

Army Of Shadows: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More

While Kessel’s novel detailed his own experiences as a member of the French Resistance with fictional versions of other Resistance members in Occupied France, Channel 4’s new spin on the 1943 novel introduces a new twist. The focus is still on the world of espionage and resistance, but this time in a dystopian Britain.

Penned by BAFTA award-winning Northern Irish novelist and screenwriter Ronan Bennett, Army of Shadows is set to be the very first production by film studio STUDOCANAL’s new television division. Managing director M-K Kennedy says it is not only this, ‘but also the adaptation of a treasured film from our iconic library; one that Ron Halpern and Joe Naftalin have been passionately developing for many years.’

Bennett is best known for his work as showrunner, writer and executive producer on Top Boy. More recently, he created Sky thriller The Day of the Jackal and Paramount+ crime drama MobLand.

Army of Shadows star Paddy Considine (right) recently worked with Ronan Bennett on MobLand. (Paramount+)

What Will Happen?

Army of Shadows will open with an almost normal looking Britain, but with a controlling force in the air. As Channel 4’s synopsis frames it: ‘the flags are different, the news is careful, and nobody says certain things out loud anymore. But everyone can feel it. Somewhere beneath the surface of ordinary life something has gone terribly, quietly wrong’.

Unable to ignore what his country has deteriorated into following the de facto American occupation, former British soldier Berry starts building a resistance network. A soldier, a student, a radiographer and a journalist will all team up against the ruling state. But their mission is not without its obstacles: an authoritarian occupied force with unlimited power, a minister who will do whatever it takes to maintain a brutal form of order, and an American intelligence operative called Jessie will try to stop Berry and his gang of outlaws.

According to Channel 4, first kills, internal betrayals, propaganda campaigns, internment camps, and a climactic political assassination will be featured in the six part series as the resistance grapple to topple their occupiers.

Though it is based on a WWII novel and re-set in a near-future, Army of Shadows remains timely. As series creator and lead writer Bennett puts it, ‘Democracy is once again in clear and present danger. Resistance to fascism is – and must always be – a permanent struggle. This is a story about commitment, resistance and defiance in the coming age.’

Barbie star America Ferrera is expected to star in Army of Shadows as Jessie. (Gregg DeGuire/WWD via Getty Images)

The Cast

While specific roles have not all been named, we know Army of Shadows‘ lead stars: Paddy Considine, America Ferrera, Alex Hassell and Kit Harington.

Renowned actor Considine is most recently known for his leading role as Viserys I Targaryen in House of the Dragon, though even more recently he starred in Bennett’s series MobLand opposite Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren. Harington similarly hails from George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy universe, best known for starring as John Snow in Game of Thrones, his very first screen role. Since then he has starred in Gunpowder, Criminal: UK and Eternals.

Hassell is known for his roles on British TV, including The Miniaturist, His Dark Materials and, most recently and most notably, Rivals. America Ferrera, meanwhile, is known for her leading role in 00s fashion comedy Ugly Betty, for which she won an Emmy and Golden Globe for her performance. Since then, she has most notably starred in TV comedy Superstore and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.

British star Alexander Hassel recently earned acclaim for starring as Rupert Campbell Black in Rivals. (Disney)

Release Date

Filming for Army of Shadows is officially underway in London, Paris, Manchester, and Liverpool. The release date is still TBC, but we are expecting to see this one in 2027. All episodes will air on Channel 4.