Sheridan Smith and Celine Buckens in the Paramount+ UK adaptation of Lucy Clarke’s novel The Castaways

EXCLUSIVE: Sheridan Smith and Celine Buckens are cast as sisters The castawaysA Paramount+ drama series based on the novel by Lucy Clarke.

Smith will play Lori and Buckens is her brother Erin in the thriller which marks Clarke’s second series adaptation for Paramount+’s UK service.

After they get off a big flight, Lori gets on a plane to Fiji while Erin doesn’t. The flight never made it to its tropical destination and months later no wreckage was found. Erin suddenly learns that Lori’s credit card was used on a remote island in Fiji and later recognizes the pilot on CCTV. She boards a plane to Fiji to find out the truth.

The show rotates between the two sisters’ perspectives, with Erin investigating in modern times and Lori struggling to survive after surviving an accident on a remote island. The truth of what happened to the plane and its passengers is slowly revealed, with someone willing to kill to keep it a secret.

The order marks what may be the first streamer series to be unveiled since the writers’ strike began today. British writers have received WGGB guidelines not to take work on American studio shows during union action, but nothing prevents streamers from ordering local shows outside the United States with contracts outside WGA jurisdiction.

British producer Clapperboard Studios and Italian studio Blackbox Multimedia are partners The castaways, with filming set to begin next month on location in Greece and Fiji. Mike Benson is executive producer for Clapperboard, which has regularly produced dramas for Paramount+ and its cousin Channel 5 in the UK, while Giuliano Papadia and Chiara Cardoso are executive producers for Blackbox.

Ben Harris (Young Wallander, diabolical) is also executive producer. The manager who was showrunner on CBS and TF1 drama hostage, is also lead writer and shares responsibility with Polly Buckle and Jesse O’Mahoney. Andy Tohill and Ryan Tohill (daily, The excavation) are directing, with Myf Hopkins serving as producer.

Sebastian Cardwell, deputy chief content officer for the UK at Paramount, has ordered the series, which will be distributed worldwide by BBC Studios.

Stage and film actress Smith was nominated for an Emmy and won a BAFTA for her role in the ITV and Seven Network drama Mrs. Biggs and BAFTA nominees for The C word And Cilla (She was also nominated for an Emmy). Other major TV roles are ITV’s Clean and that of channel 5 The teacher. She acted in Dustin Hoffman’s film quartet and last The railway children return. On stage she is currently playing the role of Shirley Valentine in Willy Russell’s West End one-woman show.

Belgian-British actress, writer and director Buckens is best known for the BBC miniseries Showtrial, which earned her BAFTA and International Emmy nominations last year. She also appeared in Steven Spielberg’s feature war horseNetflix series Free ride and warrior and last The ex-wife for Paramount+, which made Clapperboard, Blackbox and Night Train Media.

Clarke who wrote the novel The shipwrecked based on, launched another adaptation on Paramount+ in the UK this month. No way out debuts in the UK on May 18, joining a host of established or upcoming originals including The ex-wife, A gentleman in Moscow And sexy animal

Clarke said The castaways “promises to be an incredible adaptation; the screenwriting is exciting, and Sheridan and Celine are perfectly cast as Lori and Erin.”

The show is one of 150 international originals that Paramount+ plans to launch by 2025.

“In Ben Harris, we have one of the most insightful and exciting writers, and both he and the writing team have done a great job adapting Lucy’s compelling novel,” said Benson, CEO of Clapperboard. “We are fully committed to delivering a fantastic series to our friends and partners at Paramount+ and BBC Studios.”