Ncuti Gatwa, Thandiwe Newton, and all-star cast confirmed for Michaela Coel's much-anticipated I May Destroy You follow-up

Last year, the TV world lit up with news of Michaela Coel's anticipated return to our screens, with First Day on Earth announced as her comeback to being both a series creator and executive producer, as well as starring in the leading role.

Now, things have only gotten more exciting as the casting line-up for the BBC/HBO co-produced series has been unveiled – and boy, is it positively brimming with talent.

Joining Coel in the series is multi-award-winning actress Thandiwe Newton as Anya, Maxine Peake (I Swear) as Helen, Halo star Danny Sapani as Ernest and Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa as Darren.

We're yet to find out how each of these stellar actors slots into the overarching plot of First Day on Earth, with character descriptions still under wraps for now, but one thing's for sure, it's already shaping up to be a must-watch drama.

The 10-parter is being made in association with A24, and if their slate of TV dramas is anything to go by – Euphoria, Beef and Dreaming Whilst Black, to name just a few – then we know we're in for a treat.

Filming has now kicked off on the series, which is being co-directed by I May Destroy You's Sam Miller. The drama will see Coel lead the cast as British-Ghanaian novelist Henri, who is on a search for inspiration and meaning as she travels to her parent's homeland in Ghana.

The newly released description for the series describes Henri as being "on the run – from herself, her life, her partner, and that weird guy at her book talk. When she ends up in Ghana, her ancestral homeland, she finds herself submerged in an altogether different world."

It continues: "Amidst new friends, fresh joy, and many different and nuanced relationships, Henri also finds secrets, lies, difficulty and denial - leading her to question everything about herself, her heritage and her family."

As mentioned, while we don't know who Newton, Peake, Sapani or Gatwa will be playing just yet, we can hedge a very good guess and say that the performances are set to be first-class. Newton is known for playing a variety of characters over the years but in terms of TV, she's known for her roles in Westworld, ER, Line of Duty and more recently held a guest role in the second season of Wednesday.

Gatwa needs little-to-no introduction, having recently graced our screens as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who before leaving the show last year, a decision which the actor stated that he had to "wrestle" with himself over. He is otherwise known for his roles in Sex Education, as well as movies like Barbie and The Roses.

Peake has also been a mainstay on British TV for some time now, having had notable roles in Shameless, Silk, Black Mirror and The Village, having also recently starred in Say Nothing and I Swear. As for Sapani, he has starred in films like Black Panther (and its sequel, Wakanda Forever) but in terms of TV, is known for starring in Penny Dreadful, Harlots, Killing Eve, Halo and The Diplomat.

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At the time of the show's official announcement last year, the official synopsis read: "British novelist Henri (Michaela Coel) is stuck. Work has dried up, her relationship is going nowhere. So when she's offered a job on a film in Ghana, West Africa – her parents' homeland, where her estranged father lives – she can't resist the chance to reconnect with him and the country of her heritage.

"But when she arrives neither the job nor her father turn out the way she expected, and soon Henri has to deal with danger and hypocrisy, form new friendships, lose her illusions, and create a new sense of identity - one that might leave her stronger, but could also break her."

On the announcement of the series, Coel said in a statement: "I am delighted to be working with VAL, the BBC and HBO again, and to partner with A24; thanks to all of their combined taste, care and expertise, I feel our show is in great hands.

"The process of creating FDOE thus far has been a beautifully intimate experience, and I am excited to embark on the next phase to eventually offer this as another televisual gift for anyone willing to accompany Henri on what will be a wild odyssey!"

First Day on Earth will be coming to BBC One and iPlayer.

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