Army of Shadows Channel 4 thriller adds Olivia Colman and Susan Sarandon

Olivia Colman and Susan Sarandon have been cast in Army of Shadows, a new six-part thriller for Channel 4 that is now filming in London and Paris. The two Oscar winners join a cast that also includes Paddy Considine, Kit Harington, America Ferrera and Alex Hassell.

The series is written by Ronan Bennett, whose previous credits include MobLand and The Day of the Jackal. Set in a near-future authoritarian Britain under occupation, the drama has been described by Channel 4 as “gripping, provocative and action-packed”.

• Series: Army of Shadows, a six-part thriller for Channel 4.
• New cast: Oscar winners Olivia Colman and Susan Sarandon.
• Other cast: Paddy Considine, Kit Harington, America Ferrera and Alex Hassell.
• Writer: Ronan Bennett, whose credits include MobLand and The Day of the Jackal.
• Setting: A near-future authoritarian Britain under occupation.
• Production: Filming is under way in London and Paris.

Army of Shadows Channel 4 cast adds Olivia Colman and Susan Sarandon

The addition of Colman and Sarandon gives Army of Shadows two Oscar-winning performers at the centre of an already prominent cast. Deadline, Radio Times and the Evening Standard reported the confirmed casting as production continues on the six-part series.

Colman and Sarandon join Paddy Considine, Kit Harington, America Ferrera and Alex Hassell. Channel 4 has confirmed the ensemble for a drama that is being positioned as a thriller and is already attracting attention around its combination of established actors, its near-future setting and Bennett's writing.

The broadcaster's own description of the programme as “gripping, provocative and action-packed” gives the clearest indication of its intended tone. Beyond that description, the central premise places the story in an authoritarian version of Britain under occupation, taking the series away from a contemporary setting and into a near-future political landscape.

The project is currently in production, with filming taking place across both London and Paris. No transmission date has been announced.

What is Olivia Colman's new drama Army of Shadows about?

Army of Shadows is set in a near-future Britain governed under authoritarian conditions and under occupation. That premise provides the foundation for the six-part thriller, although further story details have not been announced as part of the confirmed casting news.

The setting is one of the main features distinguishing the series from a conventional present-day drama. By placing its story in a near-future version of Britain, the programme can build its thriller around a changed political and social environment while remaining recognisably connected to the UK.

Channel 4's description stresses three elements: the series is intended to be “gripping”, “provocative” and “action-packed”. Those terms, together with the authoritarian-Britain setting, establish the broad shape of the programme without revealing additional plot information.

For viewers searching for an Olivia Colman new drama, Army of Shadows is therefore a confirmed Channel 4 project rather than an early proposal. Casting is in place and filming is already under way in two European capitals.

Who is in the Army of Shadows cast?

Name	Confirmed involvement
Olivia Colman	Cast member; Oscar winner
Susan Sarandon	Cast member; Oscar winner
Paddy Considine	Cast member
Kit Harington	Cast member
America Ferrera	Cast member
Alex Hassell	Cast member

The confirmed ensemble brings together Colman and Sarandon with Considine, Harington, Ferrera and Hassell. The announcement does not depend on a single star name: the six-part series has instead assembled a group of established performers for Bennett's thriller.

Colman and Sarandon's status as Oscar winners has made their addition particularly prominent in coverage of the project. Their casting is confirmed while cameras are already rolling, placing the announcement within an active production rather than ahead of an uncertain start date.

The combination of the cast and the premise is also driving the strong UK television drama buzz around the series. With Channel 4 behind the project and filming taking place in London as well as Paris, Army of Shadows is already one of the broadcaster's notable forthcoming dramas even without a transmission date.

Ronan Bennett writes the six-part Channel 4 thriller

Ronan Bennett has written Army of Shadows. His previous credits include MobLand and The Day of the Jackal, giving the new project a writer already associated with high-profile television drama.

The format is six parts, allowing the authoritarian-Britain premise to unfold as a serialised television thriller. Channel 4 has not announced when those six episodes will be transmitted, so the production remains at the filming stage rather than entering a dated broadcast countdown.

The choice of London and Paris as filming locations also gives the production a two-city footprint. Both locations have been confirmed as current filming bases, although no additional detail about which scenes or parts of the story are being filmed in either city has been announced.

Radio Times and the Evening Standard were among the UK outlets covering the casting, while Deadline also reported on the project. Channel 4 has separately confirmed its description of the drama and its place on the broadcaster's forthcoming slate.

What happens next for Army of Shadows on Channel 4?

1. Filming continues in London and Paris.
2. The six-part series moves forward with Olivia Colman, Susan Sarandon, Paddy Considine, Kit Harington, America Ferrera and Alex Hassell in the confirmed cast.
3. Channel 4 will eventually need to set a transmission date for the thriller.

The immediate next stage is production. Army of Shadows is already filming, meaning attention can now move from casting confirmation towards the completion of the six-part drama.

The principal unanswered scheduling point is when Channel 4 will broadcast it. No transmission date has been announced, so viewers interested in the series do not yet have a confirmed premiere window.

Until that date is set, the confirmed elements are its cast, Bennett's authorship, its near-future authoritarian British setting and filming in London and Paris. The arrival of Colman and Sarandon adds two Oscar winners to an ensemble that was already substantial, giving the project further visibility as production continues.

Frequently asked questions

What is Army of Shadows Channel 4 about?

<em>Army of Shadows</em> is a six-part thriller set in a near-future authoritarian Britain under occupation. Channel 4 describes the series as “gripping, provocative and action-packed”. It is written by Ronan Bennett, whose previous credits include <em>MobLand</em> and <em>The Day of the Jackal</em>.

Is Olivia Colman in the new drama Army of Shadows?

Yes. Olivia Colman, an Oscar winner, has been confirmed for Channel 4's <em>Army of Shadows</em> alongside fellow Oscar winner Susan Sarandon. The cast also includes Paddy Considine, Kit Harington, America Ferrera and Alex Hassell, with filming currently taking place in London and Paris.

Who is in the Army of Shadows cast?

The confirmed cast includes Olivia Colman, Susan Sarandon, Paddy Considine, Kit Harington, America Ferrera and Alex Hassell. Colman and Sarandon are both Oscar winners. The six-part Channel 4 thriller is written by Ronan Bennett and is currently filming in London and Paris.

When will Army of Shadows be on Channel 4?

No transmission date has been announced for <em>Army of Shadows</em>. The six-part thriller is currently filming in London and Paris. Channel 4 has confirmed its cast and described the near-future drama as “gripping, provocative and action-packed”, but has not given a broadcast date.