New BBC series 'Great Expectations' casts Olivia Colman as Miss Havisham

The BBC's latest adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel Great Expectations, retells the story with some tweaks. The series is about an orphan boy who is taken on by a wealthy old woman whose life gets wrecked by a failed relationship.

The limited series will star Oscar-winning British actress Olivia Colman as the petrifying Miss Havisham.

The teaser for Great Expectations focuses on decay as Olivia Colman (The Crown) is portrayed in a murky wedding dress with a disorderly veil. Bad teeth and a look of desolation paint an exact picture of the menacing Miss Havisham.

The scene shows Miss Havisham’s first meeting with Pip (Fionn Whitehead), where she says: “What a prized creature we have fished from the river”.

The series is written by the creator of hit TV series Peaky Blinders, Stephen Knight. It will premiere on FX on Hulu on March 26, 2023.

Besides Olivia Colman as Miss Havisham, the cast includes Cast Fionn Whitehead as Pip, Ashley Thomas as Jaggers, Johnny Harris as Magwitch, Shalom Brune-Franklin as Estella, Hayley Squires as Sara, Owen McDonnell as Joe, Trystan Gravelle as Compeyson and Matt Berry as Mr. Pumblechuck.