Jonathan Entwistle Attached to Direct Brand-New Drama

Civil Blood, a brand-new original drama from the producers of Peaky Blinders, is set to be directed by Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World).

The historical coming-of-age series, currently in the latter stages of development, is set in 17th-century England and follows the adventures of a young woman growing up in a time of war.

The project is written by Cat Clarke and Michael Hirst, and is based on an original idea by Hirst, Dario Poloni and Clarke. Caryn Mandabach Productions is set to produce.

Along with The End of the F***ing World, which won a BAFTA for best drama series and was nominated for an Emmy, Entwistle co-created and directed Netflix’s I Am Not Okay With This, and was lead director on Apple’s Hello Tomorrow. He is currently attached to a number of movies, including The Karate Kid, written by Rob Lieber.

Hirst’s feature credits include Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett. YA novelist Clarke has written on Good Omens and Ten Percent. Her debut feature, Something in the Water, is expected to be released in cinemas next year.

Entwistle said: “This script has history, heart, family and war—all wrapped up in a punk attitude. This is a period of history not often explored and certainly not from this point of view. There’s a sense of the American Western in this world. At its heart is an iconic lead with a great pop sensibility—someone who thinks that history only happens to other people, until cataclysmic events bring history rushing into the present.”

Jamie Glazebrook, creative director of Caryn Mandabach Productions, added: “Jonathan’s vision is a law unto itself: fresh, vibrant, indelible. From TEOTFW’s Alyssa and James to I Am Not Okay With This’ Sydney Novak, he has an extraordinary knack for creating iconic characters, getting under their skin and projecting them into our imagination. Cat and Michael’s script is provocative, deeply moving and profoundly entertaining. This is such a thoroughly exciting project for us, and I’m sure it will be hotly anticipated by the many fans of Jonathan’s, Michael’s and Cat’s work.”