Summary
- Wilderness, premiering on September 15, is a British thriller series based on a novel that follows a troubled couple on a therapeutic vacation.
- The show features a talented cast including Jenna Coleman, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ashley Benson, and Eric Balfour.
- Executive producer Elizabeth Kilgarriff and director So Yong Kim discuss the process of adapting the novel, working with the settings, and the complex characters in the series.
British thriller Wilderness is headed for an American road trip when it premieres on September 15. The new Prime Video series, based on the novel of the same name by B.E. Jones, follows the not-so-happily married couple Liv and Will as they embark on what is meant to be a therapeutic vacation after Will is caught cheating. But soon enough, Liv's appetites veer closer to vengeance than forgiveness, unleashing an inescapable chain of events that will change their lives forever. The show was created by Marnie Dickens, who has previously written for popular programs such as The Musketeers and Ripper Street.
Aside from Wilderness' suspenseful plotting and killer soundtrack, the series also boasts a top-notch cast of compelling characters. Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who) stars as the wronged wife, Liv, alongside Oliver Jackson-Cohen (The Invisible Man), who plays her cheating husband Will. Ashley Benson (Pretty Little Liars) brings surprising layers to the role of "Other Woman" as Cara, while Eric Balfour (The Offer) rounds out the foursome as Cara's unsuspecting boyfriend, Garth. Check out some of the dangerous dynamics in an exclusive clip below:
Screen Rant spoke to executive producer Elizabeth Kilgarriff and director So Yong Kim about scouting the right locations to represent Wilderness, playing with how far Liv can go to balance the scales in her marriage, and how exactly they scored an iconic Taylor Swift track. Editor's Note: This interview was conducted during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, and the show covered here would not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
Elizabeth Kilgarriff & So Yong Kim Talk Wilderness
Screen Rant: I didn't realize this was a novel when I got into the show, and now I must read it. What was that journey from page to screen like, Elizabeth? How did it start?
Elizabeth Kilgarriff: We’re always looking for IP. As we know, it's a big deal for the industry. Actually, this was a book that crossed my desk in 2019, and I think it'd probably gone slightly under the radar when it was published. I read it, and Marnie and I had been talking for a while about doing a show that took a marriage in trouble out of that domestic sphere and put it somewhere we could up the stakes. So, I read the book and thought, "Okay, this is really interesting."
For us, it's always about taking a really relatable, universal, emotional story and then trying to raise the stakes in some way. I loved the idea of putting a British couple in New York, who are living a fairytale, and then undercutting that with the betrayal. Then we take them on a trip into the wilderness, essentially, where they have to rely on each other to survive but the trust isn't there anymore, which just felt so interesting. It's such an interesting way to supercharge a story of a marriage in crisis.
So Yong, I love how the wilderness really does inspire Liv's fantasies of revenge – and, of course, actual revenge. How did you work with the setting as a director and respond to the environment?
So Yong Kim: Yeah, I think all those spectacular locations are written in Marnie's scripts. And I think what we wanted to do, myself and our team, is to find those perfect locations that are going to be the perfect setting as per Liv's journey.
I think we scouted New York and Arizona first, and then we went to Vancouver to match specific wilderness locations that are true to Yosemite and Grand Canyon transitional spaces. We were very detailed about our scouting and making sure that every single location that we found fit perfectly to the story.
Also fitting perfectly is Jenna Coleman, who is just so insanely likable. You are rooting for her and then you're like, "Oh, honey. Stop." But also, "Go girl. Go." How do you both tow that line when it comes to her performance and also what can be in the story?
So Yong Kim: I think it is a huge debate, even between our creative team, which is mostly women. we constantly talked about this as well as having this communication with Jenna and Oliver. Because I think the point of the journey is that each person who views the story will have different ideas about how Liv should have dealt with her situation. It's like you were saying, "Oh girl, stop it. Stop right now. Don't go there." But she does go there, right? It's so debatable.
Elizabeth Kilgarriff: She is amazing, though. It's interesting you said that because I think this is what is so wonderful about her. She plays about four things at once: what the other characters need to know, what we want the audience to know, what she knows herself, and what she's hiding from the people around her. She manages to do it all and connect with the audience, and you just love her.
I think that was the key for us, wasn't it? You had to love her and go with her, as you say. You're under her skin, you're with her, you're cheering her on, and you're thinking, "Wow, it's a journey. It's a journey she goes on."
What was that collaborative process like with Marnie Dicken? How early on did you join, So Yong, and how closely did you guys want to adapt the book?
So Yong Kim: As for adaptation, I'll leave it up to Marnie, because she did a fantastic job of adapting the story in the book overall. For me, what was really important when I first met Marnie and Liz was that we were creatively of similar minds. Within that, we were allowed to play around with different ranges. But I would have to say, collectively, we all agreed on where we were going to take this character, mostly because the foundation was laid on the script pages.
The mother-daughter bond between Liv and Carol is so amazing and twisted. I really love watching that develop over the course of the episodes. Elizabeth, can you talk about the casting there and the chemistry between the actresses?
Elizabeth Kilgarriff: Oh, yeah. Claire Rushbrook is a brilliant, very well-respected, very well-loved British actress. I think we were looking for someone who's a very particular character. Obviously, Caryl is tough on the outside because she's had to be; a lot of that is where life has taken her. But I think what Claire did so beautifully, and what I think a lot of people will recognize in any woman or a mother like this, is that underneath there's a real softness and a vulnerability. But the way she deals with that is to hide it with her toughness.
Jenna and Claire were just amazing, weren't they? They were just so brilliant together. In fact, if anything, I think sometimes it was a lot of fun for Jenna. It's a tough journey that she goes on with Liv as a character and there are some big scenes between those two. There's an incredible scene that’s the big confrontation between them, but there was so much fun and enjoyment. Claire is a delight, as is Jenna.
Oliver Jackson-Cohen is also very charming, but Will is not as necessarily likable as Liv. Perhaps it's up to interpretation whether we think, "Does this man really love anyone?" But how would you say his past has affected the way he approaches his relationship with Liv and women in general?
Elizabeth Kilgarriff: We talked to Oliver a lot about his character because, obviously, there's a version that just leans into the cliche and we just hate him. And listen, I know everyone will have a view on Will as a character, but it was really important to Oliver and to Marnie – and to all of us – that even though we are telling a story where he is behaving very badly, we still strip back the layers as well.
I do think there are a lot of moments in the show where I think you see glimpses of the damaged boy underneath. It's a very British archetype; he's a boy who was sent away to school very young and has been brought up in a public school system and perhaps has been emotionally damaged by that. His idea of a relationship is perhaps one where he struggles to open up. But at the same time, there is also a clear sense of entitlement that he does carry with him. It was really important to us that it was clear that there was emotional damage there, and that's the root of the problem.
So Yong Kim: Yeah, I think there are moments when you really do somehow feel for him, and those moments were crucial to have in the overall journey for Liv as well. Because there is a balancing act, and if he's constantly this hateful person, then I don't think the overall story would've worked. I think for us to find that nuance and build certain amount of empathy as well for Will was important for the team.
So Yong, I think half of the show is in the wilderness, and then half we're actually in New York or closed spaces. Is there a difference in your approach to those domestic scenes that no one else can see versus the ones that are out in the open?
So Yong Kim: Yeah. I think when I was talking about shooting New York scenes with my DP, Kat Westergaard, we wanted to make sure that certain elements of thriller were embedded and built on top of each other. We referenced some '70s thriller films, or films like Gone Girl, to make sure that we have a consistent range and also build-up in the overall look of the show.
But Kat and I worked on an Indie film together that's really about intimate storytelling. She and I have a very short language system of how we could go about creating that atmosphere, so that was really helpful for us over the production.
Elizabeth, when the trailer came out and they used Taylor's version of “Look What You Made Me Do,” I was like, "Wow, the marketing department is in their bag." However, it's actually in the show. Was that always the plan? How did that come about?
Elizabeth Kilgarriff: Yeah, I still can't quite get over it. It's a dream. But Marnie's scripts have the music there from the start, so she builds the soundtrack into the script very early on. And a lot of that's to do with the lyrics and the feel. We have the most incredible soundtrack to this show.
Taylor was in there in episode 2 in the incredible Porsche scene. I think we were then talking about, "Okay, our title track. Who's that going to be? What could that be?" And obviously, we're like, "Well, the dream would be “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)." We asked the question, she said yes, and we somehow managed to make it happen. It's amazing. It's a real dream come true. It really is. It's incredible. Very exciting.
Ashley Benson is so great in this, and she plays so many layers as Cara that you would not expect her to have. She's much more than just the other woman, even though we don't even see that much of her. What was it like working with her, and what discussions did you have about how she gets here?
Elizabeth Kilgarriff: She is so good. I think when we first talked to Ashley, what appealed to her was the layers. Again, there's a version of the other woman that is just one 2D character who we hate. And I think what we all wanted to do very much, and Ashley did as well, was actually turn that on its head. Obviously, a lot of episode 2 is sort of that in lots of ways. It's sort of the realization of both women that they have both been wronged and that actually neither of them are at fault; it is Will.
Actually, I think that's what appealed to Ashley. It was just this idea that she wasn't just a one-dimensional character. It's much more interesting, and the final moment when they come together, feels really earned.
So Yong Kim: Yeah, it's really powerful. I think she really enjoyed playing this character who gives you different ideas of what we stereotype about the other woman as well. I know you said that. And then she really enjoyed being there, as well, and being part of the team. When we did the hiking scenes with the four of them, we had a blast. It was so amazing.
Elizabeth Kilgarriff: They did go, and it was a big trip for them. I think they were properly in the wilderness.
So Yong Kim: And Ashley is allergic to mosquito bites. She had layers of DEET on when she was doing those hiking scenes, and she was fearless.
About Wilderness
Based on B.E. Jones’ novel of the same name, Wilderness features British couple Liv (Coleman) and Will (Jackson-Cohen) who seem to have it all: a rock-solid marriage; a glamorous new life in New York thousands of miles from their provincial hometown; and still young enough to feel that their whole lives are ahead of them. Until Liv learns about Will’s affair. Heartbreak is swiftly followed by another emotion: fury. Revenge is her only option, and when Will proposes a trip around America’s epic National Parks to give their relationship a fresh start, Liv knows just how to get it... Wilderness is a twisted love story, where a dream holiday and a supposedly “happily-ever-after” quickly turns into a living nightmare.
Wilderness premieres September 15 on Prime Video.