Netflix Announces New UK Adaptation of Harlan Coben’s ‘The Woods’

Netflix is moving ahead with another project based on a story by Harlan Coben, this time bringing a new UK version of The Woods to the screen. The news was first reported by Deadline, which shared details about the cast, story, and production team.

The series will star Tom Bateman and Michelle Keegan in the lead roles. They are joined by a wider cast that includes Mandeep Dhillon, Pearce Quigley, and Rade Šerbedžija, among others. This marks another collaboration between Netflix and Coben, whose past adaptations have performed strongly on the platform.

The story follows Paul “Cope” Copeland, played by Bateman. His life was shaped by a tragedy years ago when his sister disappeared at a summer camp. Now he works as a barrister and raises his young daughter on his own.

Things seem stable until a shocking discovery brings the past back. A body is found connected to the same time his sister vanished, and Cope starts to believe she might still be alive. He reconnects with his former love, Lucy, played by Keegan, and together they try to uncover the truth. As they dig deeper, they find secrets that have been hidden for years.

This is not the first time The Woods has been adapted. Netflix previously released a Polish version, but this new series will give the story a British setting and a fresh cast. The show is being developed with longtime Coben collaborator Danny Brocklehurst, along with producer Nicola Shindler and her company Quay Street.

Coben also shared his thoughts on the project, saying, “The Woods is a haunting and very personal story. It has everything you expect from us — twisty, turning, gasp-inducing — but at the core is a story of old love and yearning.”

With strong past results from Coben’s shows, including the success of Fool Me Once, Netflix seems confident that this new version of The Woods will connect with viewers again.

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