A child going missing is every parent’s worst nightmare, but in Disney’s new psychological thriller, nothing is quite as it appears.
Adapted from the novel Playdate by American/Norwegian crime novelist Alex Dahl, and transplanted from Scandinavia to the north of England, The Stolen Girl follows two families thrown into chaos as an international investigation brings dark secrets to light.
Here’s all you need to know about the new Disney+ thriller.
What is The Stolen Girl about?
The Stolen Girl kicks into gear when a young child is abducted after a sleepover at a friend’s house in suburban Manchester.
When parents Elisa and Fred Blix (Denise Gough and Jim Sturgess) go to collect young Lucia (Beatrice Cohen), they learn that the family they thought were looking after their daughter never even existed.
Is the mysterious Rebecca Walsh (Holliday Grainger) involved in the disappearance? And how does flight attendant Elisa’s shady ex (Xavier Samuel) fit into the story? Those are some of the questions reporter Selma Desai (Ambika Mod) and detectives DI Shona Sinclair (Bronagh Waugh) and DS Lizzie Walker (Layo-Christina Akinlude) will be trying to puzzle out.
What follows is a rollercoaster of infidelity, secret communes, murder and globe-trotting sleuthing... to say any more specifics would ruin the ride. It’s the perfect pulpy, cliffhanger-filled binge watch.
Where was The Stolen Girl filmed?
The TV series offers a major departure from the novel, with the locations moved from the novel’s setting of Norway to Manchester.
Cheadle Hulme, Stockport
The leafy village of Cheadle Hulme, near Stockport in Greater Manchester, was the location for the Blix family home, the school where Elisa first meets fellow parent Becky Walsh (Grainger), and the playdate home that young Lucia is abducted from.
‘We went through several different schools to try and find the right on,’ location manager Kevin Jackson tells Time Out. ‘By sheer coincidence, the preferred school that everybody liked was just a mile away from Elisa’s house, so we could properly build a real world and not travel too far from the area.’
Marsden, West Yorkshire
During the series, we learn that Elisa had previously lived in a commune in the fictional village of Eyton – these scenes were actually filmed in Marsden, West Yorkshire.
Marsden’s history as a 19th century mill town was a strong influence on the story. ‘In the script, Eyton was more some sort of commune about fruit and vegetables being grown,’ explains Jackson, ‘but when we got to Marsden, we saw this mill that sold cotton and wool and the script was changed to reflect that. We adapted the script based on the location, which is always exciting.’
Shrewsbury Prison
Shrewsbury Prison was used for scenes featuring Elisa’s former lover, who is incarcerated following the fatal car crash. The prison closed in 2013 and is now open to tourists, with events ranging from guided tours to an escape room.
‘Any prison location is always problematic for obvious reasons, because you can’t shoot inside a real prison for security,’ says Jackson. ‘Shrewsbury is as it was when it first closed down, and a lot of filmmakers go there to shoot scenes because it’s got a bit of everything with cells, walkways and exercise yards.’
Dover
The Port of Dover ferry terminal is seen when Lucia is smuggled out of the country in a car.
Sunlight House, Manchester
A Grade II listed Art Deco building in the heart of Manchester, Sunlight House doubled up as the offices of Dash Voice, the publication where investigative journalist Desai (Mod) follows the case.
John Dalton Building, Manchester
Named after the Mancunian physicist who introduced the atomic theory into chemistry, the John Dalton building doubled up as the police headquarters where the missing persons case was being investigated.
Blackpool Airport
As the plot thickens, the search broadens across Europe with locations that required a little sleight-of-hand from the production team.
The interiors of Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport were actually shot in Manchester Airport, while the private jet scenes, originally planned for Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport, took place at Blackpool Airport.
France
The scenes at the villa were filmed in and around Toulon on France’s Mediterranean coast, with a day of filming at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes.
Who is in the cast?
Andor’s Denise Gough and Jim Sturgess (from the movie version of One Day) play Elisa and Fred Blix, the parents of abducted Lucia.
Strike star Holliday Grainger is Rebecca Walsh, the woman who abducts Lucia after adopting a fake identity to conceal her mysterious past.
Ambika Mod (from the Netflix version of One Day) plays determined journalist Selma Desai, who is set on uncovering the truth, despite warnings from superiors, including her exasperated editor Kaleb (This is Going to Hurt’s Michael Workéyè), to leave the case alone.
The two detectives on the case are played by The Fall’s Bronagh Waugh and Kaos’s Layo-Christina Akinlude. How can I watch The Stolen Girl?
All five episodes are streaming on Disney+ now. Check out the trailer below for a taste of the drama.
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