Matthew Macfadyen and Claire Foy Lead BBC and Starz Adaptation of David Nicholls’ You Are Here

Matthew Macfadyen and Claire Foy are to star in the television adaptation of David Nicholls' bestselling novel You Are Here, with the BBC and Starz jointly greenlighting the eight-part series. Lenny Abrahamson, known for his direction of Normal People, will helm the production in what marks his first collaboration with the BBC since that acclaimed series.

The production centres on two strangers, Michael and Marnie, who are brought together by a mutual friend and unexpectedly embark on an epic walking journey along the Coast to Coast trail, stretching from the Lake District to Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire. What begins as an unlikely pairing evolves into an unexpected romantic connection neither anticipated.

A Love Story Set Against Landscape

Nicholls, who authored the source novel, has adapted the work for television. In a statement, he described the project as an intimate character study set against grand natural scenery. "The intention with the novel was to write a close-up study of a relationship, but set against this magnificent landscape, and that's our ambition here too; to make something both intimate and epic, funny and dramatic, a romantic comedy with real emotion."

Abrahamson echoed his enthusiasm for the material. "As a huge admirer of David's writing, I'm delighted to be collaborating with him to bring You Are Here to the screen. The novel is such a beautiful love story – funny, profound and ultimately deeply hopeful. I'm also extremely excited to have Claire and Matthew, two actors I hugely admire, playing Michael and Marnie."

The series aims to explore themes of connection, midlife challenges, and the leap from loneliness into unexpected love. According to the official description, the narrative charts how the characters navigate "an undeniable attraction that is as exhilarating as it is terrifying" across the English countryside.

Production and Broadcast

Element Pictures, the Fremantle-owned Irish production company behind Normal People, is producing the adaptation. Filming is scheduled around the Lake District and Manchester regions. Global sales will be managed by Fremantle, with De Maio Entertainment handling the partnership between the BBC and Starz.

The creative team includes Nicholls and Abrahamson as executive producers, alongside Macfadyen and Foy. Additional executive producers are Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, and Emma Norton from Element Pictures, as well as Jonny Richards and Anna Ferguson representing the BBC. Clare Shepherd serves as producer.

You Are Here marks another major literary adaptation for both networks, following Nicholls' previous success with One Day, which became a notable television project. The series is currently in development, with further production details to follow.