The Long Shadow Sundance Now Release Date; When Does It Start?

What Is The Long Shadow About?

Definitive depiction of the desperate five-year hunt for serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, better known as the "Yorkshire Ripper." The true crime drama takes viewers back to the 1970s and 1980s to follow the victim and survivors of infamous serial killer opening when mother of four, Wilma McCann is found murdered near her home in October 1975 - and a desperate cat and mouse game ensues. Starring David Morrissey ("The Governor" in The Walking Dead) and Toby Jones (The Hunger Games).

Bringing a new perspective to the well-documented story of the ‘Yorkshire Ripper,’ the compelling 7-episode drama The Long Shadow premieres with two episodes on Thursday, March 21 on Sundance Now and AMC+, with additional episodes dropping weekly on both platforms. With the victims and their families at the heart of the series, The Long Shadow is written by George Kay (Hijack, Litvinenko, Killing Eve) and directed by BAFTA(R) Award-winner Lewis Arnold (Des, Broadchurch, Sherwood).

When a mother of four is found murdered near her home in October 1975, DCS Dennis Hoban (BAFTA(R) Award-winner Toby Jones, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Tetris) leads the investigation but is frustrated in his efforts to find her killer. After a succession of further murders, it dawns on the detectives that they are dealing with a serial killer. Bereft of serious leads, Hoban is quickly sidelined from the investigation by Chief Constable Ronald Gregory (Michael McElhatton, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Chernobyl, Game of Thrones), who seeks to run the investigation his way. After subsequent murders, Gregory appoints Assistant Chief Constable George Oldfield (David Morrissey, Sherwood, The Walking Dead, State of Play) to take over the inquiry.

As time moves on, Oldfield is galvanized by the arrival of a series of letters and a tape, purportedly from the killer himself. But even with this seemingly concrete evidence the murders only continue, and the investigative squad become fatally entrenched in their belief that the killer means to target sex workers. Eventually the team decides to go public with a massive press appeal, hoping to flush out the sender and as a result, the killer.

But with this acting as a distraction, the killer is able to strike again and again, sparking waves of protests among young women across the country to reclaim the streets. After a chance arrest, the killer is finally identified and caught. Through the eyes of his many victims – the survivors, the mothers and fathers, and the many children – we understand that the emotional effects and shockwaves these crimes caused will last through the decades.

The Long Shadow features a prominent ensemble cast of Katherine Kelly (Gentleman Jack, The Night Manager, Happy Valley) as Emily Jackson, Daniel Mays (Des, Line of Duty, Good Omens) as Sydney Jackson, Liz White (Call the Midwife, Anatomy of a Scandal, The Chelsea Detective) as PS Meg Winterburn, Jill Halfpenny (Everything I Know About Love, The Drowning, Liar) as Doreen Hill, Jack Deam (Father Brown, Silent Witness, DCI Banks) as DI Les Hanley, Chloe Harris (The Ipcress File, Nolly, Sherwood) as WPC Jenny Bush and Mark Stobbart (Line of Duty, Disobedience) as Peter Sutcliffe.

The Long Shadow, a Sundance Now Original series, is written by George Kay and directed by Lewis Arnold, who also serve as executive producers. Willow Grylls (Dalgliesh, Des) and Elaine Pyke (Dalgliesh, Des) are also executive producers. Sarah Lewis (Victoria, Noughts + Crosses) serves as series producer, while Matt Sandford (Des, Cobra) serves as producer. The series is produced by New Pictures. All3Media handles the international distribution.

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