Ilan Esherki is composing the music for the upcoming BBC and Netflix animated mini-series Watership Down. The 4-parter is written by Tom Bidwell (My Mad Fat Diary) based on Richard Adams’ novel, directed by Noam Murro (300: Rise of the Empire) and features the voices of James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Kingsley, John Boyega, Gemma Arterton, Miles Jupp, Freddie Fox, Olivia Colman and Anne-Marie Duff. The series is set in the idyllic rural landscape of southern England and follows a band of rabbits on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Josh Varney, Eleanor Moran, Rory Aitken & Ben Pugh (Welcome to the Punch) are executive producing the project for 42, alongside Murro for Biscuit Films, as well as Matthew Read for the BBC. Eshkeri has previously scored the 2016 thriller Collide for 42. Watership Down will premiere later this year in the UK on BBC One and in the U.S. and other territories on Netflix.
Esherki’s other upcoming projects also include Ralph Fiennes’ feature The White Crow and the ITV/Amazon mini-series Vanity Fair. The composer whose previous credits include Layer Cake, Stardust, The Young Victoria and Still Alice also has co-scored the comedy drama Measure of a Man, which will be opening in U.S. theaters on May 11.
