H.G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds is one of the best-known science fiction novels of all time, and accordingly, it’s been frequently adapted for film, television, and radio. This fall, the BBC will air a new version, this time set during the story’s original setting: Edwardian England.
The teaser shows off the story’s familiar beats: a shooting star lands in England. Curious people check it out, only to discover that the “meteorites” that have landed really contain Martians, bent on conquering the world.
The BBC announced the series back in 2017, and unlike most adaptations of the story — like Byron Haskin’s 1953 film, Steven Spielberg’s 2005 film, or the infamous 1938 radio drama — the BBC’s version has kept the series in its original time and setting, showing off English soldiers trying to fight against highly-advanced Martian tripods.
One line in particular stands out: a politician telling a worried crowd that “this is nothing to be concerned about,” a statement that feels all too real in 2019.
The three-episode series features Rafe Spall (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) as George, Eleanor Tomlinson (Colette) as Amy, Rupert Graves (Sherlock) as Frederick, and Robert Carlyle (Stargate Universe) as Ogilvy. Craig Viveiros (Rillington Place, Silent Witness) directed the miniseries, which was written by Peter Hartness (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell).
The trailer doesn’t say when the series will debut, only that it’ll be coming this fall. This series also isn’t the only new adaptation of the novel that’s set to come out soon: Fox TV and Studio Canal is producing another version set in the modern day, which is due to be released in Europe this fall.
