Australian actress Jacki Weaver has joined the cast of ITV's upcoming six-part crime thriller, Two Birds. The Oscar-nominated actress, known for her roles in Silver Linings Playbook and Yellowstone, will share the screen with Sheridan Smith in the Australian-set show – and if the first look images are anything to go by, viewers are in for a real treat!
Jacki replaces Judy Davis, who has exited the production due to scheduling conflicts.
© ITVSet and filmed in Perth and Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, the series follows a police constable who arrives Down Under from the UK hoping for a fresh start, only to find herself drawn into a perilous murder case linked to a notorious crime family.
A first look at the series shows Sheridan as her character, Constable Izzie Cornwell, while Jacki is pictured as crime boss Mrs Baxter, and Stephen Peacocke as Izzie's boss, homicide detective Matt.
© David Dare Parker/ITVIntrigued? So are we! Keep reading to find out more below.
What is Two Birds about?
The series centres on Constable Izzie Cornwell (Sheridan Smith), who arrives in the remote Australian mining town of Dugdale from the UK hoping for a fresh start.
But after a disastrous misstep, she's pulled into an "increasingly tight web of deceit, guilt, and rising danger as she navigates a murder investigation," according to the synopsis.
© David Dare Parker/ITVThe case brings her toe to toe with the fierce matriarch of notorious local crime family Mrs Baxter (Jacki Weaver), who is determined to protect her family and uncover the truth.
The drama is penned by Helen FitzGerald (The Cry) and Megan Palinkas (Heartbreak High), and is directed by James Griffiths (The Ballad of Wallis Island) and Corrie Chen (Good Cop/Bad Cop).
What to expect from Two Birds
Viewers can expect a "propulsive, twisty thriller with real humanity," according to ITV Drama Commissioner Callum Dziedzic. "Sheridan is perfect in the lead and brings her inimitable warmth and depth to Izzie," he previously said in a statement.
Who else stars in Two Birds?
Stephen Peacocke (Five Bedrooms, The Newsreader) stars alongside Sheridan Smith and Jacki Weaver.
© ITV/David Dare ParkerColin Friels (Water Rats, Malcolm) has also been cast in the series, joining previously announced stars Fiona Button (The Split, Industry), Eva Morgan (The Gathering, This City is Ours), Harry Greenwood (Klara and The Sun, Tenzing), Nic Cassim (Mr Inbetween, The Twelve S1), Victoria Fowler (Dalliance, Bump), Lila McGuire (Goolagong), Kit Jeakings-Bull (Invisible Boys), Matthew Pearce (Home and Away), Sarah Roberts (Scrublands, Home and Away) and Matt Day (Rake, Strike).
Two Birds will air on ITV1 and ITVX. A release date has yet to be announced.
