Michaela Coel‘s new series is setting up an all-star cast.
“First Day on Earth,” an HBO and BBC co-production originally announced in August 2024, has cast the following actors: Thandiwe Newton (“Anaconda,” “God’s Country”) as Anya, Maxine Peake (“I Swear, Say Nothing”) as Helen, Danny Sapani (“Halo,” “Harlots”) as Ernest, and Ncuti Gatwa (“Doctor Who,” “Sex Education”) as Darren.
Production is now underway on the 10-episode series, which marks Coel’s first series writing credit since her smash hit series “I May Destroy” debuted in 2020.
The official logline states:
“British-Ghanaian novelist Henri (Coel) is on the run – from herself, her life, her partner, and that weird guy at her book talk. When she ends up in Ghana, her ancestral homeland, she finds herself submerged in an altogether different world. Amidst new friends, fresh joy, and many different and nuanced relationships, Henri also finds secrets, lies, difficulty, and denial, leading her to question everything about herself, her heritage, and her family.”
Coel is an executive producer and director on the show in addition to writing and starring. Additional executive producers are Sam Miller, Jesse Armstrong, Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni for Various Artists Limited, Jo McClellan for the BBC, and A24. Johann Knobel will produce, while Miller will also direct. The series is a Various Artists Limited production, co-produced by HBO and the BBC in association with A24.
“I May Destroy You” quickly became one of the most celebrated shows of the year upon its release. Coel won the Emmy Award for outstanding writing for a limited series, with the show also winning the Emmy for outstanding music supervision out of its nine total nominations.
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