Inheritance: Gugu Mbatha-Raw to star in Jamaican thriller mini-series

Gugu Mbatha-Raw is set to star in the five-part thriller series Inheritance, which is set in Bristol, U.K. and Jamaica

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Yesterday, we shared the news that season 2 of the Apple TV+ thriller series Surface, which stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, is set to premiere on Friday, February 21st. Now, Variety reports that Mbatha-Raw has signed on to star in a thriller mini-series called Inheritance, a Sky Original. Jonny Lee Miller (Covenant), Sheldon Shepherd (Bob Marley: One Love), and Bel Powley (The Morning Show) star alongside Mbatha-Raw.

Written and created by Karla Crome (Carnival Row) from an original idea by Jefferson Bannis, Inheritance is being directed by Storm Saulter (Sprinter) and produced by Snowed-In Productions, in association with Sky Studios. The show is described as being a five-part limited event series that takes place in Bristol, U.K. and Jamaica, and it will tackle the enduring legacy of colonialism. Mbatha-Raw is taking on the role of Claudia, an ambitious young bi-racial lawyer who embarks on a journey to Jamaica to challenge an inheritance claim filed by an unknown local resident, Cudjoe East (Shepherd), against Oliver Connaught (Miller), a wealthy white aristocrat. Claudia’s quest takes an unexpected turn when the contested estate reveals the ominous house that has haunted her nightmares: the Connaught family’s Jamaican plantation, Hope Hill. As Claudia and Oliver investigate, they uncover a chilling connection between historical horrors and present-day injustices.

Powley’s character is named Charlotte. Also in the cast are Nadean Rawlins (Destiny) as Mercy, Sean Gilder (Mary & George) as Tom McKenzie, Olunike Adeliyi (The Fire Inside) as Patsy Dawkins, Richard Dillane (The Crown) as Eugene Desfrienes, Diveen Henry (The Day of the Jackal) as Flora, Jack Bandeira (Happy Valley) as Kenneth Connaught, and Shantol Jackson (Sprinter) as Sarah.

Inheritance will be available to watch on Sky in the UK and Ireland. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution will handle the international distribution sales. Mbatha-Raw and Miller serve as executive producers alongside Crome, Saulter, Ruth Kenley-Letts, Jenny van der Lande, Neil Blair, Sam Hoyle, and Serena Thompson. The Development Producer is Roxanne Harvey and the Series Producer is Kate Ogborn.

Crome said, “It’s a privilege to see Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jonny Lee Miller, Sheldon Shepherd and Bel Powley bringing my characters to life under Storm Saulter’s evocative direction and I can’t wait to share our work with audiences.” Kenley-Letts and van der Lande added, “Karla’s an extraordinary talent who has unleashed her wild imagination to create thrillingly unpredictable and original scripts.” Meghan Lyvers, Sky UK and Ireland’s executive director of original scripted, had this to say: “We are proud to support Karla Crome and the Snowed In team in bringing this bold, original, and provocative story to screen.

Does Inheritance sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this Guga Mbatha-Raw thriller mini-series by leaving a comment below.

Source: Variety

About the Author

Cody is a news editor and film critic, focused on the horror arm of JoBlo.com, and writes scripts for videos that are released through the JoBlo Originals and JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channels. In his spare time, he's a globe-trotting digital nomad, runs a personal blog called Life Between Frames, and writes novels and screenplays.