May 2 2024 – The Beast Must Die is a gripping contemporary revenge thriller set on the Isle of Wight. Following the hit and run of a six-year-old boy, his mother (Cush Jumbo OBE, The Good Wife, The Good Fight, Deadwater Fell) is intent on avenging his death and the only thing keeping her going is the desire to hunt down and kill the man she believes is responsible. The troubled yet brilliant Detective Strangeways (Billy Howle, The Serpent, MotherFatherSon, On Chesil Beach) has to unpick this web of tragedy and steer a course to justice.

The stellar cast includes Bafta-winning and Golden Globe & Emmy nominated Jared Harris (Chernobyl, The Crown, Mad Men), Bafta-nominated Geraldine James OBE (Back to Life, Anne with an E, Utopia), Nathaniel Parker (The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, The Outcast, Vanity Fair), Maeve Dermody (Carnival Row, Marcella, The Frankenstein Chronicles), Mia Tomlinson (The Lost Pirate Kingdom) and newcomer Barney Sayburn.

The series is directed by Dome Karukoski (Tolkien, Tom of Finland), produced by Sarada McDermott (Bridgerton, Official Secrets) and adapted for the screen by screenwriter Gaby Chiappe (Their Finest, Shetland, Vera). The series is based on the novel by Nicholas Blake (pen name of Cecil Day-Lewis CBE). Executive Producers are Ed Rubin and Emma Broughton for New Regency, Marina Brackenbury and David W Zucker for Scott Free, Nathaniel Parker and Gaby Chiappe.

The Beast Must Die is streaming on ITVX from Thursday 2nd May.

Interview With Billy Howle

The Beast Must Die is coming to ITVX this May, describe the show and why should audiences tune in?

It’s a tense, taught thriller, cop show procedural, detective cat and mouse, with a great cast in a dramatic location and a great script.

Tell us a bit about your character

He’s a London cop, became detective quite young and has taken a job that allows more peace, and a slower pace of life after a series of events in London left him with PTSD.

What was it about the story that drew you to the project?

It’s eerie, everything feels a bit off kilter, and it leans into tropes in quite a clever way.

What was it like working with the other cast members?

It was great. They’re all talented and personable.

Are you looking forward to new audiences discovering the show?

Yes I am, I feel it was a little overlooked when it first came out so I’m looking forward to new audiences discovering the show.

Tell us a bit about what it was like filming on the Isle of Wight

Cold, windy, rainy and picturesque!

Describe The Beast Must Die in three words

Thriller with yachts.