In 2017, the sci-fi series Orphan Black came to an end, but the story of the show’s world is not done just yet. Today it was announced that three-time BAFTA nominated actress Keeley Hawes has signed on to star in AMC’s Orphan Black: Echoes. Hawes will star alongside Krysten Ritter in the sequel series, which is set to debut in 2023.
The original series Orphan Black premiered in 2013 and ran for five seasons, following a young woman who finds herself in the center of a conspiracy when she discovers she is one of several clones spread out across the world. Orphan Black: Echoes’ exact plot is currently being kept a secret but is said to take place in the near future and will follow a group of women whose lives become intertwined as the mystery behind their identities begins to unravel. Hawes' character will be a scientist who “finds herself at odds with her own moral code when circumstances lead her to make an unthinkable choice.”
Hawes has been nominated three times for a BAFTA. She is most easily recognized for her work on the hit series Bodyguard, and also starred in the critically acclaimed British series Line of Duty. Her other credits include series like Mrs. Wilson, Ashes to Ashes, It’s A Sin, and The Midwich Cuckoos, and films like Rebecca and Misbehaviour. She can next be seen in the upcoming drama Stonehouse alongside her husband, Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen.
Hawes and Ritter will be joined in the 10-episode series by the previously announced Amanda Fix and Avan Jogia. Orphan Black: Echoes is created by Anna Fishko, who will also serve as writer, showrunner, and executive producer on the series. Fishko previously served as a writer and producer on series like FX’s Tyrant, AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, and Netflix’s Pieces of Her.
This new series will also see John Fawcett, who co-created the original series, return to serve as an executive producer and director. His previous works as director include seventeen episodes of Orphan Black as well as other series like The Man in the High Castle and Rookie Blue. Other executive producers on Orphan Black: Echoes include David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, Katie O’Connell Marsh, Nick Nantell, and Kerry Appleyard.
Orphan Black: Echoes is currently scheduled to premiere in 2023 on AMC and AMC+.