Casting confirmed for BBC Three's original new horror series, Red Rose

The cast for Red Rose, the eight-part horror produced by the multi-award-winning production company Eleven (Sex Education, Glue, The Enfield Haunting), has been announced.

Created by the Clarkson Twins - Michael and Paul (See, The Haunting Of Bly Manor) and filmed in Bolton, Red Rose will air on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Netflix across the world.

The cast of Red Rose includes rising stars Amelia Clarkson (The Last Kingdom, Poldark), Isis Hainsworth (Metal Lords, Catherine Called Birdy), Ali Khan (Halo, The School For Good and Evil) Ellis Howard (Home, Catherine The Great) and Ashna Rabheru (Sex Education, Indian Summers) plus celebrated actors Adam Nagaitis (Chernobyl, The Terror), Natalie Gavin (Ali & Ava, Gentleman Jack) and Samuel Anderson (Landscapers, Doctor Who). Exciting newcomers making their television debuts are Harry Redding, currently playing Jem Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird in the West End, and Laurence Olivier Bursary-winner, Natalie Blair.

Taz (Ali Khan), Jaya (Ashna Rabheru), Ashley (Natalie Blair), Wren (Amelia Clarkson), Antony (Ellis Howard) and Noah (Harry Redding)

Red Rose is an original horror series which explores the intoxicating relationship between teenagers and their online lives. Set in the long hot summer following GCSEs, our heroes' friendships are infiltrated by the Red Rose app, which blooms on their smartphones, threatening them with dangerous consequences if they don't meet its demands. The app exposes the group to a seemingly supernatural entity and the seductive, terrifying power of the dark web. Red Rose is ultimately a story of friendship, told through the prism of a classic horror-thriller.

Red Rose is directed by Ramon Salazar, whose credits include the highly successful Spanish language thriller Elite (Netflix); Henry Blake (BIFA and Bafta-nominated County Lines), and Lisa Siwe (The Bridge, Temple), with Camilla Bray as producer. The cast has been brought together by Kharmel Cochrane, who cast Alex Garland's highly anticipated Men, and Robert Eggers' The Northman, as well as most recently Hullraisers and Anne Boleyn.

Salazar works closely with his Director of Photography Ricardo De Gracia Moreno, whose shared credits include Elite and Sunday's Illness, which screened at Berlin and Tribeca and won several awards across the festival circuit. The show's production designer is Stephan Collonge, who won a BIFA for his work on Joanna Hogg's The Souvenir: Part II. He has also most recently worked with Clio Burnard on Ali & Ava.

Noah (Harry Redding), Wren (Amelia Clarkson)

Creators Michael and Paul Clarkson say: "We are thrilled with the talented cast that we've assembled in Red Rose. They have so brilliantly captured the spirit of the North with their nuanced, devastating and hilarious performances. We can't wait for the rest of the world to fall in love with them, just as we have. They're doing Bolton - and us - proud."

Joel Wilson, Executive Producer for Eleven, says: "Working with Kharmel Cochrane to find our wonderful cast was a joy. She has a genius for finding undiscovered actors and making truly inspired choices. With Red Rose, Kharmel has surpassed herself. Every one of our cast members is brilliant and we feel honoured to be working with them."

Nawfal Faizullah, Executive Producer for the BBC, says: "We are delighted that Michael and Paul's fantastic scripts have attracted such a brilliant cast of rising stars, and we're sure audiences will love this gang of misfits as they fight to survive Red Rose."

Red Rose is a co-production between Eleven and Entertainment One (eOne) for BBC Three and Netflix. It is executive produced by Joel Wilson, Carissa Hope Lynch and Jamie Campbell for Eleven, Nawfal Faizullah and Mona Qureshi for the BBC and Polly Williams. Olivia Trench co-executive produces for Eleven.

Red Rose will air on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer in the UK and Netflix for the rest of the world. Worldwide distribution is managed by eOne.

CK