A new adaptation of Watership Down, co-produced by the BBC and Netflix, is in the works as a four-part animation project that "will give a more prominent and heroic role to the female characters in Richard Adams's novel," the Guardian reported. The voice cast includes Olivia Colman, Anne-Marie Duff, John Boyega, James McAvoy, Ben Kingsley, Nicholas Hoult and Gemma Arterton.
"Using the latest computer-generated animation techniques," the series will air next year on BBC1 in the U.K. and on Netflix around the rest of the world, the Guardian noted. The project is written by Tom Bidwell (My Mad Fat Diary) and directed by Noam Murro (300: Rise of an Empire).
"We jumped at the chance to get in early and work alongside the BBC and 42 to bring this classic English tale to our members around the world," said Larry Tanz, Netflix v-p of global television. "This novel presentation of Adams's work pairs great talent with beautiful animation and will delight existing fans and capture a whole new audience for this timeless story."