Status: Completed

A three-season miniseries (2019 – 2022) inspired by the H. G. Wells classic The War of the the Worlds, set in modern day Europe and UK, written and created by the BAFTA award winner Howard Overman

Multiple directors

Main cast: Gabriel Byrne, Elizabeth McGovern, Lea Drucker, Natasha Little, Daisy Edgar Jones, Stéphane Caillard, Adel Bencherif, with additional casting as the series continued

Executive produced by Johnny Capps, Julian Murphy, and Howard Overman through their company, Urban Myth Films.

Aired on EPIX (USA) and worldwide on various platforms

Season Three

Synopsis

From the EPIX Press Release

Written and created by BAFTA Award-winner Howard Overman (Misfits, Crazyhead, Future Man), the third season sees the return of Golden Globe-winner and Emmy- and Tony Award-nominee Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment). Joining the ensemble cast are BAFTA-winner Molly Windsor (Three Girls), Ernest Kingsley Junior, Madeleine Worrall, and Oliver Hembrough. 

Set in present-day France and the U.K., Season Three picks up as the war between the survivors and aliens reaches a new turning point and a terrifying phenomenon grips countless people across the globe. With stakes at an all-time high, one survivor sets out to investigate, forming a tentative partnership with another unlikely hero along the way. The pair will need to use every resource they have available to face an opposition more dangerous than ever in their fight, once again, for the survival of all humanity. 

Gabriel Byrne as Bill Ward in Season Three of WAR OF THE WORLDS

Season Two

Synopsis

From the EPIX Press Release

In the first season of War of the Worlds, an alien attack all but wiped out mankind, with just a handful of humans fighting to survive. And no one felt more rocked by the invasion than Emily (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who discovered she may have her own strange personal connection to the aliens. Season two of War of the Worlds sees our characters left reeling by the possibility that the invaders could be human. A tense fight to take back the planet awaits them. For some, the sheer desperation to survive will lead them to contemplate sacrificing one of their own…

Gabriel Byrne as Bill Ward in Season Two of WAR OF THE WORLDS

Season One

An eight-part miniseries inspired by the H. G. Wells classic The War of the the Worlds, set in modern day Europe and UK.

Written by Howard Overman
Directed by Gilles Coulier and Richard Clark

Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Elizabeth McGovern, Lea Drucker (“Le Bureau des Legendes”), Natasha Little (“Silent Witness”), Daisy Edgar Jones (“Cold Feet”), Stéphane Caillard (“Genius”), Adel Bencherif (“The Prophet”) and Guillaume Gouix (“The Returned”).

From EPIX

When astronomers detect a transmission from another galaxy, it is definitive proof of intelligent extra-terrestrial life. The world’s population waits for further contact with bated breath. They do not have to wait long. Within days, mankind is all but wiped out by a devastating attack; pockets of humanity are left in an eerily deserted world. As aliens hunt and kill those left alive, the survivors ask a burning question – who are these attackers and why are they hell-bent on our destruction?

Emotional, cinematic and rooted in character, it is a unique marriage of human drama and the best science fiction. This is a story of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances – but they are more than just victims in a brutal war. For, as we will come to realize, the aliens’ savage attack on earth is not arbitrary: its seeds are being sown before our very eyes. Set in present-day Europe, War of the Worlds is a multi-faceted series, written and created by the BAFTA award winner Howard Overman (Misfits, Crazyhead, Merlin) based on the timeless story by H.G. Wells. It is being Executive Produced by Johnny Capps, Julian Murphy, and Howard Overman through their company, Urban Myth Films.

IMDB Page for War of the Worlds

Byrneholics postings about this new series

Behind the Scenes

Gabriel Byrne with director Giles Coulier, London, 2019

press release

“Premium network EPIX announced that it will premiere the Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern-led drama series, War of the Worlds, exclusively to US audiences on February 16, 2020 at 9pm.

The eagerly-anticipated, contemporary reimaging of H.G. Wells timeless classic is created and written by BAFTA award-winning writer Howard Overman and produced by Urban Myth Films, in partnership with CANAL+, Fox Networks Group (FNG) Europe & Africa and AGC Television.

War of the Worlds features a critically acclaimed ensemble cast including Gabriel Byrne, Elizabeth McGovern, Léa Drucker, Natasha Little, Daisy Edgar Jones, Stéphane Caillard, Adel Bencherif and Guillaume Gouix. Gilles Coulier (De Dag, Cargo, The Natives) directs the first four episodes with Richard Clark (Innocent; Versailles) directing episodes five to eight.

Said Michael Wright, President, EPIX, “We at EPIX are thrilled to be working with the teams at Urban Myth and Studiocanal to showcase Howard Overman’s masterful take on this classic story. We can’t wait to bring this cinematic and addictive series to our audience.”

Executive producers for UMF Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps added, “Cinematic, with all the mystery, intrigue and action of the best science fiction, this fresh interpretation is a character drama that considers the myriad fears of today’s world and how potential threats may only be overcome by harnessing our own humanity.”

Set-in present-day Europe, War of the Worlds is a multi-faceted series, based on the story by H.G. Wells. When astronomers detect a transmission from another galaxy, it is definitive proof of intelligent extra-terrestrial life. The world’s population waits for further contact with baited breath. They do not have to wait long. Within days, mankind is all but wiped out; just pockets of humanity are left in an eerily deserted world.

As alien ships appear in the sky, the survivors ask a burning question – who are these attackers and why are they hell-bent on our destruction? This is a story of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances – but they are more than just victims in a brutal war. For, as we will come to realize, the aliens’ savage attack on earth is not arbitrary: its seeds are being sown before our very eyes.

The drama series is executive produced by Howard Overman, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps for Urban Myth Films.”


2 Comments

  1. I hope the “War of the Worlds” series will be shown in the USA as well!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.