When you have much-loved musical/film/internet star Lin-Manuel Miranda helping announce casting for your series, you'd best expect something special. And that's what His Dark Materials did, with Miranda tweet-breaking the news that Sherlock and Fleabag favourite Andrew Scott will join the show for Season 2.
Adapted from Philip Pullman's bestselling book trilogy, the story, set in an alternate version of Victorian-ish Britain, finds rebellious pre-teen Lyra Belacqua (Logan's Dafne Keen) go on a mission to the tundras of Svalbard when children start going missing in mysterious kidnappings. In this world, humans are joined by animal companions, a physical manifestation of the soul, called daemons – beings which can shape-shift in childhood, and settle into one single form at puberty. Miranda is already in the show, playing pilot Lee Scoresby.
Scott will be part of season 2 of the show, playing Jopari – who, fans of the book series will know, ties into various strands of the overarching narrative in some very intriguing ways. Season – or for those watching on the Beeb, series – one of His Dark Materials will be on screens this autumn. US viewers will see it this fall on HBO.