The Walking Dead's Samantha Morton and Bridgerton's Ruby Stokes to lead Paramount Plus thriller series

Samantha Morton as Alpha in The Walking Dead and Ruby Stokes as Francesca Bridgerton in Bridgerton — (Image credit: AMC/Netflix)

Samantha Morton is set to front new Paramount Plus thriller series The Burning Girls. The Walking Dead star will share lead duties with Bridgerton's Ruby Stokes, Deadline has confirmed.

Based on the book of the same name by C.J. Tudor, the show centers on Morton's Jack Brooks, a widowed vicar haunted by a tragedy from her previous church, and her rebellious teenage daughter Flo (Stokes). Both desperate for a fresh start, Jack accepts a posting in Chapel Croft but soon after they move, the pair discover that the remote village is rife with rifts, conspiracies, and secrets – and has a violent past of its own.

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As it stands, The Burning Girls has yet to announce a release date, but when it does make it onto the streamer, Morton and Stokes will be joined on screen by the likes of Conrad Khan (Peaky Blinders), Rupert Graves (Sherlock) (Sherlock), Elodie Grace Orkin (Stranger Things), and John Macmillian (House of the Dragon).

Janie Dee, David Dawson (The Last Kingdom), Paul Bradley (EastEnders), Jane Lapotaire (The Crown), Jack Roth (Bohemian Rhapsody), Mollie Holder (Sanditon), Safia Oakley-Green (The Origin), and Beth Cordingly (Learning to Walk Again) round out the supporting cast. "The depth of talent is substantial," gushed Buccaneer Media CEO Tony Wood.

Morton, who received Oscar nominations for her work in 1999's Sweet and Lowdown and 2003's In America, recently reprised her role as The Walking Dead villain Alpha in anthology spin-off Tales of the Walking Dead. She is currently appearing as Catherine de Medici in Starz period drama The Serpent Queen. Stokes played Francesca Bridgerton in Bridgerton, before being replaced by Hannah Dodds ahead of the Netflix regency drama's third season.

While we wait for The Burning Girls, check out our list the best TV shows of all time for some viewing inspiration.

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.