Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer to star in A Discovery of Witches

The pair will lead the cast of the TV adaptation of the bestselling novel by Deborah Harkness for Sky 1.

“Teresa and Matthew perfectly capture my characters – I’m so excited by the casting and how they will bring the books to life.” – Deborah Harkness

A major new broadcast adaptation of the bestselling novel A Discovery of Witches will begin shooting in September at the new Wolf Studios in Wales and on location in Oxford.

The drama is a contemporary love story set against the backdrop of Oxford academic life, but in a world where a handful of witches, vampires and daemons live and work unseen amongst humans, hididng in plain sight. Teresa Palmer will star as brilliant academic and historian Diana Bishop, a reluctant witch denying her heritage. The discovery of a manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library throws her into the heart of a dangerous mystery – and into the path of enigmatic geneticist Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode), who we discover also has a dark family secret: he is a vampire.

As Diana and Matthew embark on a journey to understand the secrets of an ancient manuscript and as their relationship develops and their heritage comes in to play, events threaten to unravel the fragile peace that has long existed between witches, vampires, daemons and humans.

“A Discovery of Witches is a proper love story for grown-ups. However, the fact that it also examines science, magic and being ‘other’ in the modern world makes it a must watch. Deborah Harkness and Kate Brooke have given us a drama that packs both an emotional and thought-provoking punch. With the breathtaking vision of director Juan Carlos Medina and the Bad Wolf team, I feel very confident we are offering our customers something truly magical.” – Anne Mensah, Sky’s head of drama

A Discovery of Witches was commissioned by Sky’s head of drama Anne Mensah and director of Sky 1, Adam MacDonald. It has been adapted for screen by writer Kate Brooke.