'The Stolen Girl' Will Be Found on Freeform in April
Holliday Grainger as Rebecca in 'The Stolen Girl'
Disney+
Cable network Freeform is not exactly known as a destination for Anglophile-friendly fare. Formerly ABC Family before it changed its name and embraced buzzier, more teen-focused fare like Pretty Little Liars and The Bold Type, the closest the channel ever came to British programming was ordering a pilot for an American reboot of Misfits. (Thankfully, that never really went anywhere.)
But, Freeform is also owned by Disney, which has been steadily dipping its toe into British programming. (Heck, they even air Doctor Who now.) Most of those series tend to get funneled directly to Hulu, but the forthcoming crime thriller The Stolen Girl has seemingly earned a coveted, if somewhat unconventional broadcast spot. (Before it streams the next day on...you guessed it, Hulu.)
The series follows the story of Elisa, whose nine-year-old daughter Lucia wants to go to a sleepover with her new best friend Josie. After meeting the girl's mother, Rebecca, Elisa agrees, without knowing that she's about to experience every parent's worst nightmare. Because when she returns the next day to pick up Lucia, her daughter's missing. Not just missing — both she and the family she supposedly went to stay with have completely vanished.
The fancy house Josie and her mom lived in is apparently just a vacation rental, and no one knows what happened to the nice woman who let it. s a manhunt for the girl stretches across Europe, Elisa and her husband Fred find themselves facing uncomfortable questions from the authorities, and long-held secrets bubble to the surface.
Denise Gough as Elisa and Jim Sturgess as Fred in 'The Stolen Girl'
Disney+
Here's the series' synopsis.
A seemingly ordinary decision turns the world of Elisa, mum to two young kids, upside down in this tense thriller. When her 9-year-old daughter Lucia excitedly asks to go on an overnight playdate with her new best friend Josie, Elisa agrees. After meeting Josie’s mother, Rebecca, she’s put at ease by her charming nature and their impressive house. But when she says goodnight to her daughter, she has no idea that she is about to be thrust into every parent’s worst nightmare.
The series stars Denise Gough (Who Is Erin Carter?) and Jim Sturgess (Cloud Atlas) as Elisa and Fred, with Holliday Grainger (The Capture) as Rebecca. Other featured cast members include Ambika Mod (One Day) as investigative journalist Selma, Bronagh Waugh (Ridley), as DI Shona Sinclair, and Michael Workéyè (My Lady Jane) as Kaleb Negasi.
The drama is adapted by Catherine Moulton (Baptiste) from the best-selling novel Playdate by Alex Dahl. (Hence the show's previous title.) It's directed by Palme d’Or nominee Eva Husson (Mothering Sunday), who also executive produces with Dahl, Catherine Moulton, Nicola Shindler (Fool Me Once) for Quay Street Productions, Tanya Seghatchian and John Woodward for Brightstar (The Power of the Dog), and Hannah Scott for Disney+. James Dean is producer.
The Stolen Girl will premiere on April 16, 2025, on Disney+ worldwide. In the U.S., Freeform will roll out episodes weekly at 10:00 p.m. EST beginning April 16, 2025, and episodes will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.
