Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Shaun of the Dead) has joined lead Caitríona Balfe (“Outlander”) on Apple TV’s Ascension, the new cult horror series inspired by Adam Nevill‘s novel Last Days, Variety reports today.
Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Children of Men) co-writes the series with his brother Carlos Cuarón as well as Natalie Erika James (Saccharine, Apartment 7A, Relic) and Christian White (Apartment 7A, Relic).
The series follows “a relentless documentary filmmaker and recently divorced mother, brilliant at uncovering others’ truths but struggling to resolve her own. When Rose begins a project on a mysterious 20th-century cult known as the Church of Ascension, she finds unexpected refuge in its teachings – until she discovers something far more insidious beneath.”
James and White are sharing showrunning duties. James will also serve as lead director.
Exact details on Nighy’s role are being kept under wraps, but Balfe will play Rose, the documentary filmmaker.
Nevill’s source novel drew inspiration from Jim Jones, Charles Manson, and more to build chilling suspense centered around a cult. Our review of the novel describes a terrifying, if long-winded descent into cult-induced horror: “There’s nothing like scaring the shit out of a couple of skeptics, and there are moments in Last Days that are so frightening, it feels like Neville is giving your heart a bare-handed squeeze. And as a rudimentary crash course in the art of guerrilla filmmaking, Last Days is top notch.”