Source: Mike Marsland / Getty
Michaela Coel will be taking on some important themes with a new series in partnership with HBO and the BBC.
According to Shadow and Act, Coel will be leading a new drama called January 22nd, and it will focus on topics of sexual consent and contemporary dating life. Filming for the series has already began in London.
Coel will play Arabella Essiedu, “a self-assured, care-free Londoner with a group of great friends, a holiday fling turned aspirational boyfriend in Italy and a burgeoning writing career.”
When Abrabella becomes the victim of “having been given a date-rape drug, her entire world and identity are thrown upside down.” The show includes an assemble cast that includes Paapa Essiedu, Weruche Opia, Aml Ameen, Adam James, Sarah Niles and Ann Akin.
In a statement for Deadline, Coel said, “We’re incredibly lucky to have pulled together such a talented cast to bring these scripts to life and I look forward to sharing this work with you all next year.”
Amy Gravitt, EVP of HBO Programming, said, “It’s been thrilling to be a part of bringing Michaela’s vision to life. She writes with such intimacy and immediacy about how we treat one another, while always surprising us with moments of levity.”
The series will be distributed by HBO in the U.S.
