Andrea Riseborough & Ashley Walters To Star In ITV Thriller ‘First Woman’ About Race To Find Missing Astronaut

ITV’s Director of Drama Polly Hill has commissioned six part propulsive, lunar thriller First Woman, starring Andrea Riseborough (Academy Award nominee for To Leslie, The Good Boy and Goodbye June) and Ashley Walters (Emmy Award nominee for Adolescence, Toy Boy, Missing You), created by Lydia Yeoman (Curfew) and George Oakes, from his original idea, and directed by Emmy and BAFTA winning Philip Martin.

First Woman will be co-produced by leading indie Mammoth Screen (Code of Silence, Towards Zero, Betrayal), part of ITV Studios, Alcon Television Group (Blade Runner 2099, The Expanse) and ZDF Germany. The series is being co-financed by Alcon Television Group and ITV Studios.

When Ben Reith (Ashley Walters) is woken in his London home to be told that his wife Claire (Andrea Riseborough) has gone missing, it’s the start of a global news story, because Claire is an astronaut crewing the UK’s first moonbase and she’s disappeared into the long lunar night…

Claire is the first woman to set foot on the moon. A biologist taking part in a groundbreaking research project, her disappearance throws suspicion on her fellow astronauts and China’s rival base. With hundreds of thousands of miles between them, can Ben uncover the truth behind his wife's disappearance?

Commented Andrea Riseborough:

“As a kid, I dreamed, perhaps more than anything, of space.  Of emptiness and stars, and the vastness of all that those ‘grounded’ reflected on in verse. I can’t imagine a kinder, bolder, braver team than Philip and Ashley with whom to step into that realm.  This will be endlessly compelling - I hope - for all who want to journey with us. I cannot wait.”

Commented Ashley Walters:

“What an honour to be a part of such a bold and propulsive drama with a team of people that I have dreamt of working with. I always want to be a part of projects that make us converse and think outside the box. This one does just that.”

The thrillingly suspenseful scripts are from lead writer Lydia Yeoman (Curfew), George Oakes and Ben Schiffer.

Cinematic in scale and ambition, First Woman is produced by Julia Stannard (War and Peace, The Bombing of Pan Am 103, Anne, Trigger Point) and directed by Philip Martin (Scoop, The Crown, Mo).

The series is executive produced by Mammoth Screen’s founder and Chief Creative Officer Damien Timmer alongside James Gandhi, Philip Martin, George Oakes and Lydia Yeoman. Mammoth Screen’s Creative Director Rebecca Keane has overseen the development of the series.

Alcon Television Group will co-produce the series with Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove, Scott Parish, Diego Piasek and Ben Roberts serving as Executive Producers.

ITV’s Director of Drama, Polly Hill will be responsible for production of the drama from the broadcaster’s perspective.

Commented Polly Hill:  

“I wanted ITV to make this the moment I read it. The team that has come on board on and off screen is incredible, and a testament to the wonderful and original scripts. Ashley Walters and Andrea Riseborough are such exciting casting, and Philip Martin is going to take the audience on such an incredible journey, that I am thrilled to share with the audience.” 

Filming is underway in Belfast supported by Northern Ireland Screen. The production team is utilising Studio Ulster, the largest and most advanced virtual production studio in the UK, where the lunar landscape and moonbase have been created.

Commented James Gandhi and Damien Timmer:

“We’re excited to partner with Alcon on what is going to be one of the most ambitious ITV dramas ever made. First Woman will keep global audiences on the edge of their seats - it’s the ultimate emotional rollercoaster.”

Commented Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson on behalf of Alcon Television Group:

“First Woman is a gripping, character-driven thriller set against the backdrop of the modern space race, and we’re excited to partner with Mammoth Screen and ITV to bring this compelling story to audiences around the world.”

Commented Philip Martin:

“I was blown away reading Lydia and George’s brilliant scripts! It’s a rare thrill to find something so fresh, ambitious and emotional - and to have the chance to explore new worlds and tell such a powerful and deeply moving human drama in such an epic landscape!”

With the action switching between Mission Control in the UK and the lunar surface, this is a race against time like no other, with the remaining astronauts under increasing pressure and Ben hoping against hope that he and his wife can be reunited. But how well can two people really know each other?

Commented Lydia Yeoman:

“Set in the exciting (and as-yet-unexplored) world of private space travel, First Woman is a thriller unlike anything else we’ve seen. This is the story of a marriage put through the ultimate test. It’s rare that you get given the opportunity to tell a story with such ambition and scope, and we’re eternally grateful to Polly at ITV and Alcon for allowing us to do that.”

First Woman will be produced in association with and distributed internationally by ITV Studios. The production is supported with funding from Northern Ireland Screen. 

UNIT VFX will work in close partnership with Mammoth Screen and Alcon delivering creative visual effects during production while POLI PRODUCTIONS creative Rob Carlisle collaborates with Philip Martin and Production Designer Gillian Devenney to create the spectacular lunar vistas.