When you mix the words “period drama” with Olivia Colman, you get an Academy Award (The Favourite) win or even nab an Emmy and Golden Globe if you want to count her run on The Crown as a period piece. Stepping back to the 1800s for her next big dramatic role, the time has finally come for audiences to see the celebrated actress opposite Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk) in a trailer for Hulu’s limited series adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens novel, Great Expectations.

Hearkening back to her leading role in Yorgos Lanthimos’ dark comedy-drama The Favourite, our first deep dive into the fiery and bloody world of Great Expectations reveals a poor boy’s journey to the top of society at the hands of a giving and mysterious benefactor. In it, we meet Pip (Whitehead), a young man who was orphaned in his early days and dreams of a world beyond the squaller he’s used to. After being offered the opportunity to travel to London and learn “the wicked ways” of the city, Pip is set on a dangerous course of destruction and corruption while he’s watched from afar.

Leading Pip on his reckless journey to transform him from a poor boy to a cut-throat dignitary is Colman’s Miss Havisham. The trailer also gave us a taste of the romantic relationship that Pip will strike up with Estella (Shalom Brune-Franklin), another one of Miss Havisham’s rags-to-riches projects.

great expectations
Image via BBC

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Filling out the cast will be Ashley Thomas as Jaggers, Johnny Harris as Magwitch, Hayley Squires as Sara Gargery, Owen McDonnell as Joe Gargery, Laurie Ogden as Biddy, Trystan Gravelle as Compeyson, Matt Berry as Mr. Pumblechook, Parth Thakerar as Herbert Pocket, Rudi Dharmalingam as Wemmick, and Matthew Needham as Mr. Drummle with Tom Sweet and Chloe Lea as Young Pip and Young Estella, respectively.

Peaky Blinders creator and writer, Steven Knight penned the limited series and also serves as an executive producer. He’s joined in the latter by major names including Tom Hardy, Ridley Scott, Dean Baker, Kate Crowe, and David W. Zucker. FX productions in association with the BBC produce alongside Scott Free and Hardy Son & Baker.

The first two episodes of Great Expectations arrive in the United States on Hulu on March 26, with the rest of the world able to tune in on the BBC, Disney+’s Star brand, or Star+ depending on availability. Following the two-part premiere, episodes will drop weekly on Sundays. Check out the trailer below.