Homeland star Clare Danes is set to headline the series adaptation of "The Essex Serpent", following Keira Knightley's exit from the Apple TV Plus project. Knightley, who has two young children, pulled out of the show in October in what was described in the British press as concerns over childcare during the coronavirus pandemic. Acclaimed filmmaker Clio Barnard is attached to direct the period drama, based on author Sarah Perry's 2016 novel. Shotgun Wedding: Josh Duhamel Replaces Armie Hammer in Jennifer Lopez Starrer

Set in 1893, the story revolves around a newly widowed woman Cora, played by Danes, who, having been released from an abusive marriage, moves from Victorian London to a small village in the county of Essex. She is fascinated by a local superstition that a mythical creature known as the Essex Serpent has returned to the area. Anna Symon has penned the adaptation. Step Up Season 3: Christina Milian to Replace the Late Naya Rivera As Collette

Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Patrick Walters, Iain Canning, and Emile Sherman will serve as executive producers on the show alongside Barnard and Symon. See-Saw Films will produce the series for the streaming platform.

Danes is coming off her Emmy-winning turn for her role as former CIA officer Carrie Matheson on "Homeland", the acclaimed Showtime political thriller, which ended its eighth season run last April.

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