EXCLUSIVE: Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who, Sex Education), Thandiwe Newton (Anaconda, God’s Country), Maxine Peake (I Swear, Say Nothing) and Danny Sapani (Halo, Harlots) are set to star opposite Michaela Coel in First Day On Earth, Coel’s new drama series for HBO and BBC, a followup to her award-winning I May Destroy You.
In First Day On Earth, British-Ghanaian novelist Henri (Coel) is on the run – from herself, her life, her partner, and that weird guy at her book talk. When she ends up in Ghana, her ancestral homeland, she finds herself submerged in an altogether different world. Amidst new friends, fresh joy, and many different and nuanced relationships, Henri also finds secrets, lies, difficulty, and denial, – leading her to question everything about herself, her heritage, and her family.
Gatwa plays Darren; Newton plays Anya; Peake plays Helen; Sapani plays Ernest. Filming on the 10-episode series is currently underway.
Created and written by Coel, First Day On Earth is a Various Artists Limited production, co-produced by HBO and the BBC in association with A24. Executive producers are Coel, Sam Miller, Jesse Armstrong, Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni for Various Artists Limited, Jo McClellan for the BBC, and A24. Johann Knobel produces; Coel and Miller direct.