Striking first-look images released today reveal Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Loki, The Morning Show, Black Mirror), David Oyelowo (Selma, Les Misérables) and Jessica Plummer (Eastenders, How To Talk To Girls At Parties) in JP Delaney’s gripping adaption of his best-selling novel The Girl Before for BBC One and HBO Max. The limited four-part series from award-winning production company 42 (The English Game, Watership Down, The Courier), is written and executive produced by JP Delaney, with Marissa Lestrade (White Stork, Deep State 2) co-writing episodes. Emmy-nominated Lisa Brühlmann (Killing Eve, Servant, Blue My Mind) directs.

The Girl Before tells the story of Jane (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who gets the chance to move into a beautiful, ultra-minimalist house designed by an enigmatic architect (David Oyelowo). There’s just one catch: the occupants must abide by his list of exacting rules. Jane starts to feel the house changing her in unexpected ways, but when she makes the shocking discovery about her predecessor, Emma (Jessica Plummer), she’s forced to confront unnerving similarities. As the two women’s timelines interweave, Jane begins to question if her fate will be the same as the girl before…

Executive Producers are Eleanor Moran, Rory Aitken and Ben Pugh for 42, Ben Irving for the BBC, JP Delaney and Lisa Brühlmann. Jeniffer Kim oversees the project for HBO Max. Rhonda Smith produces and Gugu Mbatha-Raw is an associate producer. The adaptation was commissioned for the BBC by Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, and Charlotte Moore, Chief Content Officer.

The Girl Before is coming soon to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK and HBO Max in the US. ITV Studios is the international distributor and brokered the co-commission deal with HBO Max.

A global bestseller, The Girl Before has sold over one million copies since its publication in 2016. It is published by Quercus in the UK and Ballantine in the US.