Jacob Elordi has been announced as leading the small screen adaptation of The Narrow Road to the Deep North. The Euphoria (2019-present) and Saltburn (2023) star will appear in the World War II-era series alongside Odessa Young, Olivia DeJonge and Ciarán Hinds.
The five-part series, based on the 2014 Booker Prize-winning novel by Richard Flanagan, follows Elordi’s character, Lt. Col. Dorrigo Evans, through various points in his life, including his time as a prisoner of war (POW) in the China-Burma-India Theater during the construction of the Burma Railway.
It also details his love affair with Young’s Amy Mulvaney, his later years as a well-regarded surgeon and his reservations over being considered a war hero.
Produced by Curio Pictures, The Narrow Road to the Deep North was adapted for television by Shaun Grant. Elordi was announced in November 2022 as leading the cast, with his co-stars revealed a year later, around the time when principal photography began. Filming, which was led by director Justin Kurzel, wrapped in March 2024.
“The Narrow Road to the Deep North is an epic tale of the sustaining power of love under the harshest of circumstances,” Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner of Curio Pictures told Variety. “Curio is honoured to help bring this spectacular story to life with creators Shaun Grant and Justin Kurzel, novelist Richard Flanagan and our brilliant cast and crew.
“We can’t wait for audiences to see it.”
The BBC announced on December 2, 2024, that it had acquired the miniseries for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, adding to plans by Prime Video to host the series in the likes of Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
Sue Deeks, the head of BBC Programme Acquisition, said in a statement:
“The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a complex, beautiful, and heart-wrenching series, which sensitively interweaves several stages in the life of surgeon Dorrigo Evans, from the passion of first love, to the unflinching depiction of life as a prisoner of war in occupied Burma. We are so pleased to bring this truly exceptional adaptation to BBC viewers.”
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As of publishing, a release date has yet to be revealed for The Narrow Road to the Deep North.