Airdate: Black Narcissus

Black Narcissus, a three-part period thriller based on the best-selling novel by Rumer Godden, comes to Foxtel in early April.

Set in a Himalayan abbey, the cast features Gemma Arterton, Alessandro Nivola, Aisling Franciosi, Jim Broadbent and the late Diana Rigg.

The story was previously dramatised on screen by director Michael Powell in 1947 with Deborah Kerr and Jean Simmons. The new version premiered in the US in November.

Set in 1934, an ambitious young nun Sister Clodagh (Gemma Arterton) heads a mission to a remote part of the Himalayas. The clifftop palace of Mopu has been donated by General Toda Rai (Kulvinder Ghir), who hopes the Sisters of St. Faith will rid the ‘House of Women’ of unhappy memories connected to his late sister, Srimati Rai (Gianni Gonsalves).

Although Sister Clodagh (Arterton) ignores the warnings of the General’s raffish agent Mr. Dean (Nivola), isolation and illness soon take their toll, with the haunting atmosphere of the palace particularly affecting volatile Sister Ruth (Franciosi). As past and present collide, the arrival of the young General Dilip Rai (Chaneil Kular) is the catalyst for an explosion of repressed desires that may end in a fatal confrontation.

Black Narcissus stars Gemma Arterton (Summerland) as Sister Clodagh, Alessandro Nivola (Chimerica) as Mr Dean, Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale) as Sister Ruth, Jim Broadbent (Harry Potter, Game of Thrones) as Father Roberts and the late Diana Rigg (The Avengers, Game of Thrones) as Mother Dorothea, along with Rosie Cavaliero as Sister Briony, Karen Bryson as Sister Philippa, Patsy Ferran as Sister Blanche, Nila Aalia as Angu Ayah, Kulvinder Ghir as General Toda Rai, Chaneil Kular as Dilip Rai, Dipika Kunwar as Kanchi, Gina McKee as Sister Adela, Soumil Malla as Joseph Anthon and Gianni Gonsalves as Srimati Rai .

Black Narcissus is produced by DNA TV in association with FX Productions for BBC One and the FX Networks. Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich of DNA TV executive produce along with Amanda Coe, who also serves as writer and Lucy Richer for the BBC.

Episode 1 and 2 from Monday, April 5 at 8.30pm, then episode 3 on Monday, April 12 at 8.30pm on FOX Showcase.
All 3 episodes On Demand / Binge from Monday, April 5.