BBC Buys Liane Moriarty Adaptation ‘The Last Anniversary’

The BBC has picked up Nicole Kidman‘s The Last Anniversary, the latest adaptation from Big Little Lies scribe Liane Moriarty.

Deadline revealed casting for The Last Anniversary for Australia’s Binge last year and the series will star Teresa Palmer (The Clearing, A Discovery of Witches, The Fall Guy), Miranda Richardson (Good Omens, Spider) and Danielle Macdonald (The Tourist, Patti Cake$).

Having previously bought Moriarty adaptation Apples Never Fall, the BBC has snapped The Last Anniversary up for iPlayer in a deal with distributor Fifth Season.

Moriarty’s book is set on Scribbly Gum Island, a place of many secrets. The one that made it famous – the disappearance of a young couple decades ago – might have made the island a destination for true crime tourists, but when it comes to secrets, the three generations of women that call Scribbly Gum home, hold far more. 

Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, said: “The Last Anniversary is an entertaining drama full of vivid characters, comedy and romance, with a compelling mystery at its heart – I’m sure BBC viewers will thoroughly enjoy their visit to beautiful Scribbly Gum Island.”

Earlier this week, Deadline revealed a new Moriarty project with Fifth Season, a series adaptation of her mystery novel Here One Moment.

Lead writer on The Last Anniversary is Samantha Strauss (Nine Perfect Strangers, Dance Academy) and the director is John Polson (Law & Order: Organized Crime, Tell Me Your Secrets). Bruna Papandrea, Jodi Matterson and Steve Hutensky are executive producing and Casey Haver co-executive producing for Made Up Stories with Per Saari and Nicole Kidman executive producing for Blossom Films alongside Alison Hurbert-Burns and Lana Greenhalgh for BINGE. Strauss, Polson and Moriarty are executive producers. Sarah L. Walker serves as script producer. The Last Anniversary (6×45’) is commissioned by the Foxtel Group for BINGE, in association with the BBC. big The series is supported by the NSW Government through Screen NSW’s Made in NSW Fund.