The upcoming television adaptation of Lord of the Flies, based on the 1954 novel by William Golding, has been selected for the Berlinale Special strand of the Berlin International Film Festival (12-22 February), marking one of the most high-profile series presentations at this year’s edition of the German gathering.

Produced for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, the four-part drama represents the first-ever television adaptation of Golding’s landmark novel, long considered a cornerstone of the English-language literary canon. The series is written by Jack Thorne and directed by Marc Munden, a creative pairing previously behind acclaimed dramas such as Help and National Treasure.

Set in the early 1950s, Lord of the Flies follows a group of British schoolboys stranded on a tropical island after a plane crash, with no adult supervision. What begins as an attempt to recreate order and civilisation soon deteriorates into violent power struggles, as rival visions of leadership emerge. Ralph, supported by the rational and physically vulnerable Piggy, seeks to maintain a democratic structure, while Jack, increasingly drawn to hunting and domination, pulls the group towards savagery. The series charts the boys’ descent from fragile order into chaos, revisiting themes of human nature, loss of innocence and the construction of masculinity that have made the novel endure for over seven decades.

Thorne’s adaptation remains faithful to the original narrative framework, while expanding its emotional and psychological dimensions. Structured as four 60-minute episodes—each titled after one of the story’s central characters (Ralph, Piggy, Simon and Jack)—the series offers shifting perspectives on the collective breakdown of the group, allowing each boy’s inner world to come into sharper focus. The project was developed with the support of Golding’s family, adding an additional layer of literary stewardship to the adaptation.

The cast is led by Winston Sawyers as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, David McKenna as Piggy and Ike Talbut as Simon, alongside Thomas Connor, Noah and Cassius Flemyng, Cornelius Brandreth and Tom Page-Turner. In line with the production’s ethos, many of the performers are making their professional acting debuts, with no prior experience required during the casting process overseen by Nina Gold. An ensemble of more than 30 boys completes the group of “big ’uns” and “littluns” populating the island.

Principal photography took place in Malaysia in autumn 2024, with additional filming in the UK. The lush but unforgiving tropical locations promise to play a central role in the series’ atmosphere, reinforcing the contrast between the boys’ civilised upbringing and the increasingly feral environment they create for themselves. Cinematography is courtesy of Mark Wolf, whilst the original score is co-composed by Hans Zimmer and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music.

Lord of the Flies is produced by Eleven (UK) in association with One Shoe Films (UK), with Sony Pictures Television handling international distribution. Executive producers include Joel Wilson and Jamie Campbell for Eleven, Thorne for One Shoe Films, Munden, and representatives from both the BBC and Australian broadcaster Stan, which will air the series locally.