"WOLF is a hugely entertaining, six-part horror-thriller series based on Mo Hayder’s twisted and imaginative crime novels featuring DI Jack Caffery. This series charts two storylines that are nail-bitingly close to one another but don’t collide until one heck of a finale that includes song and dance (yes, really), and a fair bit of blood. The tone of the series is at times heightened and absurd, with large doses of dark humour, which I think audiences will find really thrilling. A riveting crime story was baked into Mo’s novel – such incredible plotting – as a screenwriter, it completely hooked me in.

The project is a partnership between Laurent Boissel of APC Studios and Elaine Cameron of Hartswood Films. As a writer, you work with a lot of different producers. But the collaboration between myself, Elaine and Laurent has been extraordinarily special to me. This is a unique series with a very unique tone; as a writer, you need a lot of constructive encouragement and smart feedback to get it just right. Fortunately, that is exactly what I got with my producers every step of the way.

I was initially drawn to WOLF because, unlike so many crime novels, it’s a proper thriller, with massively high stakes and a hugely climatic finale. But at the heart of it all is Mo Hayder’s central character, whom I truly adore: DI Jack Caffery. What sets Jack apart from so many other maverick detective characters is rather simple – he’s a millennial. At just 32 years of age, Jack isn’t dealing with a failed marriage or a strained relationship with his children. He’s also not a deeply corrupt detective. Rather, he’s trying to make all of these life decisions for the first time. Do I want a relationship or family? What kind of detective am I going to be?

One of the biggest writing challenges of this series was balancing the two crime storylines, (both of which are rich with twists and turns – one of Mo Hayder’s specialities), with enough breathing room for characterisation. I’d like to think we succeeded in doing this, though, as evidenced by the stunning cast we got on board. The roles in this series are hugely demanding and every actor brought their A game.

Filming in Wales was a pleasure. Not only are there incredible visuals available to showcase in the series, but the creative departments were top notch. And at the heart of our production were two fantastic directors. The first three episodes were helmed by Kristoffer Nyholm, who brought such an artistry to the series. He understood the terror and the humour of the story so perfectly; it’s not an easy job but he made it look like it was. He simply nailed the tone. The back three episodes were directed by Lee Haven Jones who had some spectacularly challenging scenes and sequences, not only in terms of action and set pieces, but also in terms of emotional performances that had to be captured perfectly. To say Lee ‘came through’ on all that would be an understatement.

As a screenwriter, it’s not often you’re handed a world like the one Mo Hayder built. Getting to play around in what she created has genuinely been the highlight of my career. I’m incredibly proud of WOLF; it’s a series for people who like their crime served up in a slightly different way. The episodes build and build and the finale is truly an example of everyone – actors, directors, scripts, music, art department, everyone! – all coming together in a gorgeous harmony. This is not a series that deflates in its climax; this is a series that sings."