This Friday, March 29, the fantasy series Rebel Nell arrives on Disney+. In this new creation by Sally Wainwright (Happy Valley), get ready to meet a heroine we love, as intrepid as she is stubborn!
After the excellent series Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack, respectively rated 4.3 and 4.2/5 by AlloCiné viewers, screenwriter Sally Wainwright lifts the veil on her latest creation to be discovered exclusively on Disney+. In Rebel Nell, she once again paints a nuanced portrait of a heroine who is both tenacious and inspiring, played brilliantly by actress Louisa Harland (Derry Girls).
This series follows the misadventures of Nell Jackson, a cunning and courageous young woman who despite herself becomes the most famous bandit in 18th century England, after being unjustly accused of murder. Helped by a courageous spirit named Billy Blind, she realizes that fate has not led her astray by chance.
“She’s not perfect, far from it. She’s described as a hero, and she has the potential to be one, and obviously she has a heart of gold, but she’s flawed and she’s very stubborn. That’s what I like about this character,” his interpreter tells us in an interview.
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Forced to flee following the accusations against her, Nell must regularly come to blows with those who cross her path. It is in these moments that the mysterious spirit that accompanies him intervenes, giving him almost superhuman strength and foolproof skill.
“The biggest challenge for this role was finding that physical side of her in me and enduring the grueling process it took to get there, but that’s the magic of the show: that it brought me at this point where I could pretend, or at least give the impression, that I could easily beat an entire army of men,” says Louisa Harland.
Magic in the air!
After the 19th century in Gentleman Jack, Sally Wainwright this time goes back a little further in time, to 1705, bringing a touch of magic and the supernatural. Nell Rebel is indeed inspired by the folklore and beliefs of the time, notably the famous myth of the “wild hunt”. However, this does not prevent the series from tackling very current subjects.
“What’s amazing about Sally’s writing [Wainwright]is that she can comment on social injustice, class struggle and all these very contemporary subjects, such as the place of women in a man’s world, in a story which takes place in 1705 in uniform. era with fantastic elements,” enthuses Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso), who plays Billy Blind, the spirit who assists Nell throughout the series.
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Moreover, if Nick Mohammed shares all his scenes with Louisa Harland on screen, the two actors have had very little opportunity to cross paths. Indeed, the actor had to shoot on a green screen, not having the ability to change size on demand like his character, and this, several months after the rest of the cast, being still engaged in the filming of Ted Lasso . “We rehearsed together for a day, but the rest of the time we were apart, so we’re happy the dynamic worked on screen!”
Alongside them, Frank Dillane, Alice Kremelberg, Ényì Okoronkwo, Bo Bragason, Florence Keen, Joely Richardson, Adrian Lester, Pip Torrens and Craig Parkinson complete the cast. In addition to a neat script, Nell Rebel also counts on a great team on the production side with the participation of Ben Taylor (Sex Education, Catastrophe), Amanda Brotchie (Gentleman Jack) and MJ Delaney (Ted Lasso) .
Discover now the 8 episodes of the new series Nell Rebel exclusively on Disney+.