Galgorm Castle is set to feature in another hit TV series as filming gets underway at the Ballymena location for series two of ‘World on Fire’.
The BBC British war drama series, written by Peter Bowker, first aired in the UK in 2019 to critical acclaim, before hitting screens in the US in 2020.
Telling the story of World War Two through the eyes of ordinary people whose lives have been thrown into chaos, the six new episodes are written by series creator Peter Bowker, Rachel Bennette and Matt Jones, and made by Mammoth Screen for the BBC and Masterpiece.
October 1940. Lone pilots are sent to destroy German bombers prowling the skies above Manchester as the Northern Blitz begins. The true reality of war has arrived in Britain.
World On Fire series two will take viewers from the streets of Britain into occupied France, Nazi Germany, and to the sands of the North African desert, where British troops struggle alongside Indian Sappers and Australian Diggers to adapt to a very different kind of combat.
Returning cast include Lesley Manville as Robina, Jonah Hauer-King as Harry, Julia Brown as Lois, and Zofia Wichlacz as Kasia, with Blake Harrison as Stan, Eugénie Derouand as Henriette, Eryk Biedunkiewicz as Jan, and Cel Spellman as Joe.
Joining the World On Fire cast for series two are Mark Bonnar (Guilt, Line Of Duty) as Sir James Danemere, Ahad Raza Mir (Resident Evil, Hum Tum) as Rajib, and Gregg Sulkin (Runaways, Pretty Smart) as David.
World On Fire creator and writer Peter Bowker says:
"The second season of World On Fire has been a long wait due to a certain pandemic and this makes the beginning of filming especially exciting. It has been a real joy to pick up the story with our inspirational cast, both our established regulars and new and exciting talent who have embraced the show’s scale and ambition.
"How the conflict played out in North Africa is a fascinating and little-explored history and we are aiming to redress that balance with stories of struggle and friendship. Our diverse cast will continue to reflect the global nature of the conflict.”
The BBC has confirmed that filming on series two is currently underway in Northern Ireland.
World On Fire series one aired on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in autumn 2019, where it averaged 6.7 million viewers (30-day consolidated data). The second series will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2023.