Sundance Now Sets New Premiere Date for 'The Long Shadow'
Toby Jones in "The Long Shadow"
(Photo: Sundance Now)
Sundance Now has announced an updated release date for its true crime drama The Long Shadow. The series, originally slated to arrive on the streamer last November, was abruptly rescheduled late last Fall, possibly because a gruesome tale of serial murder isn’t what most of us consider prime holiday fare. Luckily, the critically acclaimed drama is now set to premiere this March, and will likely introduce many American audiences to the infamous 1970s serial murderer known as the Yorkshire Ripper.
The series follows the story of the five-year hunt for serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, who was convicted of murdering thirteen women and attempting to kill seven others between 1975 and 1980. The nickname Yorkshire Ripper is, of course, a nod to the famous Jack the Ripper and reflects Sutcliffe’s similar targeting of marginalized and poor women, particularly those who worked in red-light districts and whose deaths and disappearances were more likely to be ignored by authorities. He was ultimately arrested in 1981 and sentenced to twenty concurrent sentences of life in prison. These were eventually converted to a whole life order (i.e., a life sentence without any possibility of parole or conditional release) in 2010.
Based on Wicked Beyond Belief: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper, Michael Bilton’s critically acclaimed account, The Long Shadow stars Toby Jones (The Wonder) as DCS Dennis Hoban, who initially led the inquiry until his sudden death in 1978. David Morrissey (The Missing) plays DCS George Oldfield, who was famously blamed for mishandling the case in myriad ways, while Lee Ingleby (The Serpent Queen) is DCS Jim Hobson, who eventually took over the case from Oldfield.
Here's the official description.
Return to the 1970s and 1980s to follow the victim and survivors of the infamous serial killer, the "Yorkshire Ripper", starting when mother of four, Wilma McCann, is found murdered near her home in October 1975 – and a desperate cat and mouse game ensues.
The series' cast includes Shaun Dooley (Grantchester), Katherine Kelly (Happy Valley), Daniel Mays (Magpie Murders), Liz White (Call the Midwife), Jill Halfpenny (Everything I Know About Love), Daisy Waterstone (Dalgliesh), Jasmine Lee-Jones (Dead Pixels), Molly Wright (The A Word), Alexa Davies (COBRA), Chloe Harris (Nolly), Stephen Tompkinson (DCI Banks), Jack Deam (Father Brown), Michael McElhatton (Game of Thrones), and Mark Stobbart (Line of Duty).
Other notable members of the massive ensemble cast include Adam Long (Masters of the Air), Ruth Madeley (Years & Years), Dorothy Atkinson (All Creatures Great & Small), Rob James-Collier (Downton Abbey), Charley Webb (Emmerdale), Steven Waddington (Slow Horses), and Kris Hitchen (Trigger Point).
The Long Shadow is written by George Kay and directed by Lewis Arnold, who also both serve as executive producers. Willow Grylls (Des) and Elaine Pyke (Dalgliesh) are also executive producers. Sarah Lewis (Victoria) is series producer, while Matt Sandford (Des) serves as producer. The series is produced by New Pictures.
The Long Shadow premieres Sunday, March 21, on Sundance Now and AMC+ with two episodes, with weekly installments to follow through April 25, 2024.
