It's been a while since we've seen new material from Buffy and Marvel's Avengers man Joss Whedon, but he's finally back on the scene with a new HBO series that bares comparison with that aforementioned cult TV favourite. Whedon has now cast Laura Donnelly in The Nevers.
How does it, on first synopsis blush, appear to invoke the feeling of Whedon's earlier series? The Nevers is described as "an epic science fiction drama about a gang of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world." Donnelly will play Amalia True, the most reckless, impulsive, emotionally damaged hero of her time. A menace to stuffy Victorian society, she would die for the cause and kill for a drink.
"Laura Donnelly has charisma, wisdom and an anarchic precision that not only captures Amalia but defines her," Whedon says in a statement carried by Deadline. "She’s fierce and she’s funny – and I need both for the journey ahead." Whedon has recruited Buffy veterans Jane Espenson and Doug Petrie for the writing team of the straight-to-series show and has Game Of Thrones veteran Bernie Caulfield overseeing the production, scheduled to kick off shooting this summer in London.
Donnelly has been known more here in the UK, and scored an Olivier Award for her stage performance in 2018's The Ferryman. On screen, she has a recurring role on Outlander and has worked on the likes of Beowulf: Return To The Shieldlands, Britannia and Missing. Next up for her is Tolkien, which arrives in UK cinemas on 3 May.
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