Natalie Dormer To Star in Welsh/French Thriller 'Minotaur'

Sphere-Abacus, the now combined TV indie powerhouse producer, has announced its next series will be Minotaur, a Welsh-French series that's set in Paris and Northern Wales and will star French actor Assaad Bouab (Bad Sisters) and British actor Natalie Dormer (White Lies). The series hailed from Welsh actor-turned-playwright-and-director Celyn Jones, who most might recognize from co-starring in Martin Clunes' 2019 series Manhunt. 

The number of Welsh TV productions has trebled in the past decade, but most are BBC-backed or produced in some form, whether via BBC Cymru or BBC One. However, in a sign that the market for shows set in Wales about Welsh culture is growing, this project is being undertaken by independent studios in hopes that distributors will snap up the finished project.

It helps that Jones has been responsible for several critically acclaimed films and series since stepping from in front of the camera, including the Rebel Wilson-starring The Almond & the Seahorse and the upcoming Madfabulous. Add in Dormer, who has been a fixture on TV since starring in The Tudors, and Bouab, known for starring in the original Dix Pour Cent, better known in America as the French series Call My Agent!

Here's the series synopsis:

Minotaur follows Luc, a cold-blooded killer who escapes Paris’s criminal underbelly for the more prosaic North Wales. There, he meets Angel, who lives in a struggling community she feels she can never belong to, raising her son Joe alone. Whilst fighting addiction, Angel gravitates towards the mysterious Luc. However, as an initial attraction grows stronger and promises a fresh start for both, the past looks determined to drag Luc back into a dangerous underworld. Where does all the evil go? Know your shadows and beware the Minotaur.

Bouab plays Luc, and Dormer co-stars as Angel, the only cast currently confirmed for the six-part series so far. Jones wrote all episodes and will split helming duties with Charles Sturridge (Marcella). Nadia Jaynes and Sean Marley produce. The executive producer is Nicola Pearcey for Picnik Entertainment and Fields Park Productions.

“I have always admired Natalie Dormer and the work she creates, a brilliant, intelligent firebrand that will add so much depth to the role and series,” said Jones. “It is a thrill to work together, and the pairing of her and Assaad Bouab has the hallmarks of an iconic screen duo. This story has been swimming around my dreams for a long time. A Welsh/French noir thriller with an international appeal, so you can imagine how strong it is for me to watch it materialize with this incredible team… I think audiences are going to love it.”

Minotaur will film in early 2025 in Paris and Northern Wales. The series, billed as a seasonal returner, will hopefully find distribution by the end of the year.