Netflix’s star-studded Roald Dahl series is still going strong, with the cast filming overnight scenes this week. We’ve got a brand-new batch of behind-the-scenes photos, two new cast names, plus some news on where the production heads next.
If you’re just catching up, we first broke the news back in August that Netflix was filming a new live-action Dahl adaptation under the working title Zoltar. Days later, Netflix confirmed the project and its massive ensemble cast. Since then, we’ve followed the production around the North of England, including stops in seaside towns and a shoot in Bolton.
Nicola Coughlan, Naomi Scott and Josh Finan film overnight, plus two new cast members
Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls) is front and center again in our latest snaps. She’s wearing the prosthetic baby bump we’ve seen throughout production, along with a gingham nightshirt, a fleecy cardigan, pink frilly socks and sheepskin slippers. She’s also carrying the floral duffel bag from our very first look at the series, which looks a lot like a hospital bag.
The scene itself looks pretty dramatic. Across several shots, Coughlan clutches her bump, winces and doubles over while the rest of the group gathers around her. If we had to guess, we’d say her character goes into labor in the middle of the street. That fits with Coughlan’s previously reported role as Mary Maloney, the heavily pregnant housewife at the heart of Lamb to the Slaughter.
Naomi Scott (Aladdin, Smile 2) is back in the green-and-orange quilted jacket she wore in our earlier set photos. Once again, she’s sprinting down the pavement, then trying to calm Coughlan down. Josh Finan (Say Nothing, The Gentlemen) was also on set, along with a few cast members whose roles haven’t been revealed yet. One of them is a man in a dressing gown and satin durag who’s clearly been dragged out of bed.
The photos also give us two cast names that hadn’t been announced until now. Kevin Bishop (Star Stories, FBI: International) and Kadeem Ramsay (Top Boy, Blue Story) were both spotted filming the overnight scenes alongside Coughlan and Scott. Neither was part of the ensemble Netflix confirmed back in August, and we don’t yet know who they’re playing, so consider both roles under wraps for now.
Other photos show a mustachioed man in a 70s-style shearling jacket carrying a reptile tank, next to a woman in a sequinned dress and fishnets. With “snake charmers” right there in the official logline, we suspect we know what’s in the box. The street has also been dressed with a fictional storefront called Rumpelstiltskin’s Toy Shop.
Zoltar is heading out to sea
We’ve also heard where the production is going next. On Monday, November 9, cast and crew are reportedly boarding a cruise ship in Bristol to film at sea. The ship will head to France, then to Santander in northern Spain, before sailing around the Mediterranean.
Netflix hasn’t revealed which stories the series will adapt. Still, Dahl fans will know that Dip in the Pool is set entirely on board an ocean liner. In that story, a passenger bets everything on the ship’s daily mileage, with disastrous results. We’ll be keeping an eye out.
According to production listings, filming runs from mid-August until mid-December 2026, with Manchester and Whitby among the locations.
What we know so far
Here’s the official logline:
This series weaves a deliciously twisted tale made up of Roald Dahl’s iconic short stories for adult audiences. A young couple, marooned in a faded seaside town, must face con men, adulterers, murderous mothers, and snake charmers as they attempt to escape before their own fate is sealed.
Danny Brocklehurst (Fool Me Once, Brassic) is the writer and executive producer. Orchid Pictures is producing, with Suzanne Mackie and Gabriel Silver as executive producers, Sarah Lewis as series producer and Phill Reeves as line producer. Runyararo Mapfumo and Ben Gregor are directing the six hour-long episodes.
Alongside Coughlan, Scott and Finan, the confirmed cast includes Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Toby Jones, Carmen Ejogo, Clarke Peters, Michael Socha and Christine Tremarco, with Kevin Bishop and Kadeem Ramsay now joining them in as-yet-unknown roles.
There’s no title or release date yet, but with filming wrapping before Christmas, a 2027 release looks very likely. For more on what’s coming, check out our guide to every new British Netflix series and movie coming in 2027 and beyond.
