According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney+ has announced the cast for the upcoming show The Artful Dodger at an event in Singapore. Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The Maze Runner, The Queen’s Gambit) will be the lead, playing Jack Dawkins, AKA the Artful Dodger. David Thewlis (Naked, The Omen) will portray Fagan and Maia Mitchell (Teen Beach Movie, The Fosters) will star as Lady Belle Fox.
The Artful Dodger is an eight-episode drama set during the 1850s in Australia and is inspired by the eponymous character in Charles Dickens’ 1838 novel Oliver Twist. The series is focused on Dodger, a surgeon who can’t help but commit crimes. “‘From high-octane heists to life-and-death surgeries, glittering parties to colorful streets, this series is a rock’n’roll tale with an Aussie connection,’ Disney says,” via The Hollywood Reporter.
Jeffrey Walker (Modern Family, Young Rock) will produce and direct the show, along with Corrie Chen (Wonder Boy, Wentworth) and Gracie Otto (The Last Impresario, Heartbreak High). The series will comprise of several writers, including Andrew Knight (Hacksaw Ridge, The Water Diviner), Vivienne Walshe (Everything Is Gonna Be Okay, Blue Heelers), James McNamara (The New Legends of Monkey, The Outrageous New Story of Milky Moore), Dan Knight (Spray), and Miranda Tapsell (Top End Wedding, The Dry).
The supporting cast features a gifted ensemble of Australian actors: Miranda Tapsell who is also a writer on the show, Susie Porter (Wentworth, Gold), Kym Gyngell (Love Me, Black Snow), Damien Garvey (Nautilus, Jack Irish), Jessica De Gouw (The Secrets She Keeps, Dracula), Damon Herriman (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Judy and Punch), Andrea Demetriades (The End, Seven Types of Ambiguity), Luke Carroll (Upright, Preppers) and Tim Minchin (Upright, Californication). The show will introduce new talent as well, such as Jude Hyland, Finn Treacy, Lucy-Rose Leonard, Nicholas Burton, and Albert Latailakepa.
The Disney+ show is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television, Beach Road Pictures, and SPT’s Curio Pictures. The creators and executive producers of the show are Beach Road Pictures’ David Maher (Bloom, Supernova) and David Taylor (A League of Their Own, Wipeout). Curio Pictures’ Jo Porter will serve as executive producer, along with producer Ross Allsop.
The Artful Dodger is expected to debut on Disney+ in late 2023.