Sky original psychological thriller The Third Day to launch on 15th September on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV
Sky original psychological thriller The Third Day to launch on 15th September on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV
Gripping Sky original, psychological thriller The Third Day, starring Jude Law and Naomie Harris, will launch on Tuesday 15th September on Sky and NOW TV. Set on an alluring and mysterious British island, this six-part visceral drama will take viewers into its captivating and distortive world where all is not as it seems.
Created by Dennis Kelly and Felix Barrett, the ground-breaking series from Sky Studios in collaboration with HBO, Plan B and Punchdrunk will be told by three, stand-alone but interconnected stories, not only on screen but also in an innovative live broadcast of an epic theatrical event.
The series’ first three episodes – ‘Summer’, written by Dennis Kelly and directed by Marc Munden, sees Sam (Law), drawn to a mysterious island off the British coast. Isolated from the mainland, Sam is unable to leave the idyllic and dangerously enchanting world he has discovered, where the secretive rituals of its inhabitants bring him to grapple with experiences of loss and trauma hidden in his past through the distorted lens of the present. As boundaries between fantasy and reality fragment, his quest to unlock the truth leads the islanders to reveal a shocking secret.
Following ‘Summer’, viewers will be immersed in the world of The Third Day through a theatrical live event – ‘Autumn’ - to be broadcast live on Sky Arts and online. Featuring members of The Third Day cast including Jude Law, viewers will follow the events of a single day in real time. Capturing events live and in one continuous take, this cinematic broadcast will invite viewers deeper into the mysterious and suspenseful world of The Third Day, and will blur and distort the lines between what’s real and what’s not. It is created by theatrical innovators Punchdrunk and directed by founder and artistic director of Punchdrunk Felix Barrett.
Naomie Harris stars in ‘Winter’ which concludes The Third Day over a further three episodes, written by Kit de Waal, Dean O’Loughlin, Dennis Kelly and directed by Philippa Lowthorpe. Helen (Harris) is headstrong outsider who finds herself inextricably drawn to the island in her pursuit to seek answers. As the lines between fantasy and fact are distorted, Helen and her family are caught between the island’s splintered forces, which gives rise to a fractious battle to decide its fate.
The Third Day was commissioned by Zai Bennett, Sky UK’s Managing Director of Content and Cameron Roach, Director of Drama at Sky Studios, with Liz Lewin as the Commissioning Editor. The series is a co-production between Sky and HBO. It is the first original drama to be produced in house by Sky Studios, Sky’s new Europe wide production arm, in partnership with Plan B Entertainment, the world-renowned immersive theatre company Punchdrunk and writer Dennis Kelly. All six episodes are produced by Adrian Sturges.
The three episodes of Summer will begin weekly from the 15th
September on Sky Atlantic. Autumn, the theatrical live event, will
broadcast on 3rd October on Sky Arts and online. The three episodes of
Winter will then begin weekly on 6th October on Sky Atlantic. All of The Third Day will also be available through NOW TV.
Notes to editor
For more information contact: victoria.etaghene@sky.uk and lisavanolipublicity@googlemail.com
About Sky
With 24 million customers across seven countries, Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of the Comcast group. Our 32,000 employees help connect our customers to the very best entertainment, sports, news, arts and to our own local, original content.
Following the success of Sky originals like Chernobyl, we plan to double our investment in original content by 2024. We’re also developing a new TV and movie studio, Sky Studios Elstree, which is expected to lead to the creation of over 2,000 new jobs and generate an additional £3 billion of production investment in UK creative sector in the first five years alone.
Our technology allows customers to watch what they want, when they want, how they want, and as we connect millions of families to content they love, we believe it is our responsibility to do it safely. That’s why we offer services like Sky Broadband Buddy and the Sky Kids app. And our online streaming service, NOW TV, brings viewers all the enjoyment of Sky with the flexibility of a contract-free service.
We also believe that a company of our scale has a responsibility that goes beyond our business, and into the community. We recently announced a series of commitments to help tackle racial injustice and improve diversity and inclusion. To ensure the commitments are delivered, Sky will invest £10million per year across its markets for each of the next three years. We’re committed to being Europe’s first net zero carbon entertainment company by 2030 – two decades before we have to – and we’re an inclusive employer recognised by The Times and Stonewall for our commitment to diversity.
About Sky Studios
Sky Studios brings to screen unique stories from the very best talent in Europe.
We develop, produce and fund original drama, comedy and documentary for Sky’s 24m customers and beyond, with 52 scripted shows already in production. Building on the success of critically-acclaimed Sky originals including Emmy-winning Chernobyl, Bafta-winning Patrick Melrose and international hits Babylon Berlin and Riviera, Sky Studios is the new creative home of Sky originals, such as The Third Day with Jude Law, ZeroZeroZero from the makers of Gomorrah and The New Pope directed by Academy Award-winning director Paolo Sorrentino.
We’re an agile Studio, seeking out the best untold stories from new voices while working in creative partnership with today’s best writers, producers and on-screen talent to bring viewers stories they wouldn’t find anywhere else.
With commissioning talent and production capability across the UK, Germany and Italy, we understand local tastes across Europe better than anyone else and have plans to more than double our investment in original content by 2024, fully supported and backed by Comcast NBC Universal.
We’re also developing a new TV and movie studio, Sky Studios Elstree, which is expected to lead to the creation of over 2,000 new jobs and generate an additional £3 billion of production investment in UK creative sector in the first five years alone.
Sky Studios invests in the cultural economy and global production sector with equity stakes in nine production companies in the UK and the US, including Great British Bake-Off creator Love Productions, and the premiere reality crime producer in the US, Jupiter Entertainment, creator of long-running hit Snapped. Sky Studios has invested in high quality factual specialists Blast Films and True North Productions; entertainment and format expert Znak & Co (US & UK); natural history producer True to Nature; drama producers The Lighthouse and Longboat Pictures; and growth businesses Sugar Films, Chrysalis Vision, and Talos Films (US).
Sky Studios launched in June 2019. The senior leadership team is Chief Executive Officer Gary Davey, Chief Commercial Officer Jane Millichip, Chief Finance Officer Caroline Cooper, Director of Drama UK Cameron Roach, Director of Comedy UK Jon Mountague, Director Original Production Sky Italia Nils Hartmann, and Director Original Productions Sky Deutschland Marcus Ammon.
About Punchdrunk
Founded by Artistic Director Felix Barrett, Punchdrunk is a world-renowned company whose work is recognised internationally as pioneering game-changing ways for audiences to experience culture. Punchdrunk has twenty years experience developing its signature form of large-scale, design-led, building-based theatrical experiences, in which audiences roam freely across epic and sensory theatrical worlds. The company’s infectious and individualised format rejects the passive obedience usually expected of audiences, inviting them to rediscover the childlike excitement of exploring the unknown.
The company’s production of Sleep No More in New York recently celebrated its eighth birthday and has been playing to sell out audiences since 2011. Most recently Punchdrunk collaborated with Shanghai Media Group to re-imagine Sleep No More in Shanghai where it has become the fastest-selling theatrical production in the city and has recently celebrated its third birthday.
The Punchdrunk charity is responsible for Punchdrunk’s enrichment programme, taking this innovative approach into schools and communities with projects that have a powerful impact. The charity’s recent work includes Small Wonders, a production for 5-11 year olds and their families, whilst schools projects The Lost Lending Library and A Small Tale are currently being delivered in London and across the UK. Previous projects include Against Captain’s Orders, a family show created in partnership with the National Maritime Museum and Greenhive Green, which took place in a care home for older people including those with dementia.
Punchdrunk Global Ltd trading as “Punchdrunk”
"Punchdrunk" is the registered trade mark of Punchdrunk and is used under licence. Punchdrunk Global Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 9302561. UK VAT Registration Number: 232 4800 38.
About HBO
HBO® is one of the most respected and innovative entertainment brands in the world, serving iconic, award-winning programming to 140 million subscribers globally. A subsidiary of WarnerMedia, HBO is the world’s most successful pay TV service with an extensive array of programming that includes some of the most notable titles to be on television including Game of Thrones®, Big Little Lies®, Westworld®, The Sopranos®, Sex and the City®, Band of Brothers®, and The Wire®. In the United States, HBO® and sister network Cinemax® are available across multiple platforms including HBO On Demand®, Cinemax On Demand®, HBO GO® and MAX GO®, as well as HBO NOW®. Internationally, HBO branded services, including television networks and the standalone streaming product HBO GO®, are available in more than 70 countries across Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. HBO and Cinemax programming is also sold into more than 150 countries worldwide.
