Netflix Casts 'This is Going To Hurt's Ambika Mod in 'One Day'
Netflix U.K.'s newest series will take on David Nicholl's hit novel, One Day. The 2009 romance, in which each chapter covers the same date in consecutive years over a twenty-year span, traces the romance between Dexter and Emma, who first hooked up in 1988. Over the next twenty years ending in 2008, readers get a yearly check-in to see where the two are in their slowly evolving romance. The two struggle with mistimed opportunities to turn their friendship into something more for years until they finally wind up together, only for it to end once and for all.
The series will follow the same structure, with each episode covering July 15th (St Swithin's Day), over twenty years. However, as the series is almost certainly not 20 episodes, it will probably condense down a bit. This is Going to Hurt's breakout lead, Ambika Mod will take on the role of Emma Morley, who first meets Dexter the summer after the two have just graduated from the University of Edinburgh. The White Lotus' Leo Woodall will play Dexter Mayhew. This is the second adaptation of the novel to be attempted — a very condensed movie adaptation was released in 2011 by Focus Features, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess in the lead roles.
The Nicholls project, which is being done in conjunction with Focus Features, as it still maintains the rights, was initially commissioned back in November 2021 as part of a slew of new titles for the U.K. arm of Netflix's international productions. Of the five, it is the only romantic drama to have been greenlit. The other four include a 1980s-set mystery thriller Eric, a superhero comedy, Supacell, the Greek myth-inspired series, Kaos, and a YA-focused teen dramedy, The F— It Bucket, about an anorexic teenager working down the list of things to do before they die.
Here's the series logline:
Every episode of One Day will follow Emma and Dexter on that one particular day as they grow and change, move together and apart, and experience joy and heartbreak.
No other cast has been set for the upcoming drama, which is being spearheaded by Nicole Taylor (The Nest), who leads a writing team that also includes Anna Jordan (Only Human), Vinay Patel (Doctor Who), and Bijan Sheibani (Morning Song).In My Skin's Molly Manners will direct all episodes.
Filming for the series is scheduled to begin in London starting the week of July 4, so more casting is expected to arrive soon. One Day is currently billed as a TV series, so though no second season has been hinted at, it may be likely that the series does break the books into multiple seasons and cover all 20 years of the novel's story. Considering how big British shows are for the streamer, like The Crown and Bridgerton, and the burgeoning investment in new British originals, it seems likely Netflix is hoping for a Normal People or Conversations with Freinds-like hit.
One Day does not have a release date, but with filming expected over the summer, chances are it will hit Netflix's slate in 2023.
