William Golding’s much-loved novel Lord of the Flies is being adapted for TV by the BBC. The series has been written by National Treasure writer Jack Thorne and tells the story of a group of boys who become stranded on a tropical island. And as the boys battle for supremacy, things take a dark turn. The cast hasn't yet been selected but we can’t wait to see who will take on the iconic roles of Ralph, Piggy and Jack from the classic tale.
Fans of the novel of Lord Of The Flies will be thrilled to hear that the project has the full support of William Golding’s family. His daughter Judy Golding Carver says, “My father wrote the novel in a passionate, visionary response to the aftermath of war. He understood that its relevance would not die away. I believe he would welcome the freshness and vigour with which Jack and Joel (executive producer Joel Wilson) undertake the project, and he would certainly be touched by their intense commitment. Our family has been encouraged by our discussions with them – and as a result we put our trust in their skills and enthusiasm. My father was proud of the novel and had faith in its power and honesty. His family believe that this adaptation will do full justice to these qualities.”
Writer Jack Thorne adds, "Joel and I were talking in his kitchen and he said, 'go on, name it, the one you'd like to do but don't think you ever will get the chance to' and I said Lord of the Flies, a book that left a scar on me like no other. Joel shot up and said he’d been pestering the Golding family’s representatives for years. Soon after, he found a way to Judy Carver, and then brought me in and I am so delighted they've trusted us with this incredible book. Working with the mighty BBC to bring this to life, finding our director and actors will be, I'm sure, one of the joys of my life. It is a book, I think, full of love as well as cruelty, about how we survive as people and the ways we undo ourselves. It is a TV show we hope families will watch together on the sofa and unpick just as I unpicked the book with my Mum as a kid.”
The multi-Oscar winning composer Hans Zimmer (Dune, Planet Earth, The Lion King), one of the biggest and highly lauded names in film and television, will co-create the series’ original score with multi-Emmy nominated Kara Talve (Tattooist of Auschwitz, Prehistoric Planet) for Bleeding Fingers Music.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new BBC1 adaptation of Lord Of The Flies…
Lord Of The Flies release date
The four-part drama Lord Of The Flies will be shown on BBC1 and BBCiPlayer and Stan in Australia some time in 2025. When a release date is confirmed, we’ll update you on this page, as well as its other international and US air dates and channel.
Lord of the Flies plot
This television series of Lord of the Flies will follow the plot of the novel, which sees a group of young boys stranded on a deserted island. The boys organise themselves and agree to be led by Ralph, who is to be supported by the group’s intellectual Piggy. But Jack, who is in charge of signal fire duty, is more interested in hunting the monster some are convinced lives on the island and vying for leadership, so begins to lure other boys onto his side. Then tragedy strikes.
Lord of the Flies cast
Many of the cast for Lord Of The Flies are young newcomers. David McKenna will play Piggy alongside Winston Sawyers as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, Isaac Talbut as Simon, and Thomas Connor as Roger. Noah and Cassius Flemyng are the twins Sam and Eric, with Cornelius Brandreth as Maurice, and Tom Page-Turner as Bill, alongside an ensemble of more than 20 other boys playing the desert island camp’s 'big ‘uns' and 'little ‘uns'.
Is there a trailer?
Not yet but when the BBC release one, we’ll post it up on here.
Locations, behind the scenes and more on the BBC's Lord Of The Flies adaptation
Lord Of The Flies will be filming in Malaysia and Australia from 2024. Commissioned by the BBC, Lord of the Flies will be a four-part drama and is an Eleven and One Shoe Films production backed by Sony Pictures Television for BBC iPlayer, BBC One and Stan. The series is written by Jack Thorne, directed by Marc Munden, and produced by Callum Devrell-Cameron (Sex Education, Hanna). The executive producers are Joel Wilson and Jamie Campbell for Eleven, Jack Thorne for One Shoe Films, Marc Munden, Nawfal Faizullah for the BBC, and Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie for Stan.
Screenwriter and executive producer Jack Thorne says: “I still can’t believe we have been given the opportunity to film this beautiful book. The first few days shooting show that our cast are extraordinary and that Marc is finding a whole new visual language in capturing the wonders of them and the beauty of Malaysia. He is an incredible storyteller. It is all so exciting.”
Director Marc Munden adds: “This iconic novel of class, conflict and tender male friendship has never been more relevant. It’s a real privilege to be working with Jack Thorne once again, the wonderful cast of young actors we’ve assembled and the brilliant team at Eleven on this beautifully fresh adaptation.”
Eleven’s Executive Producer Joel Wilson says: “Marc is a visionary. It is a privilege to witness his skill in working with our young actors as he brings Jack’s scripts to life. The visual language he has developed with Mark Wolf, our cinematographer ,would be a thing to behold in any environment. Here, capturing our excellent cast in the jungle, mountains and beaches of Malaysia, it is extraordinary. Hans has already shared his first sketches for the score, which are hugely inspiring. We are honoured to be working with him. I’m writing this as I watch our cast of more than thirty boys (between the ages of five and thirteen) file up our mobile Jetty onto the beach, feeling delighted we made this happen.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “We’re delighted to pass the conch to Jack Thorne, Marc Munden and this exceptionally talented young cast of stars in the making, who are telling this timeless story in such an epic and emotionally poignant way. Lord of the Flies is British storytelling at its finest and most thoughtful, and there is no better home for its first ever television adaptation than on the BBC.”
Stan Chief Content Officer Cailah Scobie said: “One of the biggest books of the 20th century, Lord of the Flies has captivated readers for generations, is loved by millions, and this landmark adaptation is guaranteed to compel Australian audiences. Our collaboration with the BBC and the award-winning team at Eleven features a dynamic young cast from top-tier creative talent, and we look forward to sharing this impactful Stan Original Series with our audiences soon.”
All about William Golding’s famous novel Lord Of The Flies
Lord of the Flies was written by novelist, playwright and poet Sir William Golding in 1954. It tells how, at the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island leaving its occupants, a group of schoolboys, stranded. At first, they celebrate their newfound freedom but when they attempt to forge their own society, hope and adventure turns to terror and evil.
William Golding wrote a further 12 fiction novels and in 1980 he was awarded the Booker Prize for Rites of Passage. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983. Lord of the Flies is now one of the most popular books on the English curriculum. William Golding died in 1993 aged 81.
Previous adaptations of Lord Of The Flies
Lord of the Flies was first adapted into a film in 1963. The black and white movie was directed by Peter Brook and starred James Aubrey, Tom Chapin and Hugh Edwards. Another film of the book was released in 1990, directed by Harry Hook and with Balthazar Getty, Chris Furrh and Danuel Pipoly leading the cast. There is also a Filipino movie version of the book called Alkitrang Dugo.
All about writer Jack Thorne
Playwright, screenwriter and producer Jack Thorne is behind the hit movies Wonder and Enola Holmes, plus the TV show His Dark Materials. He also wrote the stage show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and the TV series Best Interests, Kiri, The Accident, National Treasure, The Virtues and The Fades. Jack wrote or co-wrote the movies This Is England, Help, The Swimmers and Then Barbara Met Alan. His Netflix film Joy is released in 2024
