Jenna Coleman’s ‘Wilderness’: Everything You Need to Know About the New Prime Video Series

A new series of love, deception, and revenge is coming to Prime Video! Wilderness airs its first episode on September 15, and the show has so much in store for fans of the psychological thriller genre!

Here’s everything we know so far about Jenna Coleman’s new series, Wilderness.

A Cross-Country Story

Wilderness is the new show coming to Prime Video. The series is based on the novel by B.E. Jones of the same name. A tale of love, deception, and revenge in a cross-country road trip paired with a talented cast. A teaser trailer of the show is set against Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” depicting the tumultuous relationship of the show’s main couple.

The trailer also depicts Liv as the leading lady of Will’s nightmares. All this while Liv’s world is turned upside down when she discovers Will having an affair. Heartbreak turns into rage and the pursuit of vengeance as the story goes on.

The official synopsis for Wilderness is also released.

“Based on B.E. Jones’ novel of the same name, Wilderness features British couple Liv and Will 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 is created by Marnie Dickens and executive produced by Elizabeth Kilgariff. So-Yong Kim serves as the director of the show which is produced by Firebird Pictures. Production for Wilderness started in June 2022 in the UK, US, and Canada.

Wilderness Cast

Wilderness stars Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Liv and Will. Coleman is best known for her character Clara Oswald in the long-running British sci-fi series Doctor Who. The actress is also known for her appearances in The Sandman as Johanna Constantine and as Queen Victoria in Victoria. Jackson-Cohen is known for his portrayal of Adrian Griffin in the 2020 iteration of The Invisible Man. The actor is also known for his appearance in The Haunting of Bly Manor.

“It becomes a rollercoaster and an unexpected journey,” said Coleman about the show in an interview ahead of the US WGA strike. “There’s a domino effect that’s uncontrollable. It’s heightened but grounded in an emotional, truthful experience. Liv is from Wales and uses humor as a defense mechanism because she is unsure of herself. Through her insecurities and lack of self-worth, Liv has put a lot of herself into her relationship with Will. But now she begins to plot ways in which to kill him and seek justice. There’s no hero or villain. The breakdown of a relationship should feel messy and confusing.”

“It’s a twisted love story. Where we begin and where we end are two totally different shows. Audiences are going to love the thrill ride. It never takes you where you think it’s going to go. It’s stressful, moving, exciting, funny, and devastating. Will is an English boarding school type from a well-to-do but broken family. He and Liv have an incredible bond which is shattered,” said Jackson-Cohen.

Additional Cast Members

Other cast members for Wilderness include Ashley Benson as Cara, Eric Balfour as Garth, Claire Rushbrook as Caryl, Marsha Stephanie Blake as Detective Rawling, and Morgana Van Peebles as Ash. Jonathan Keltz also joins the cast as Detective Wiseman and Talia Balsam plays Bonnie.

What to Expect from Season 1

The plot of Wilderness sees Liv and Will’s relationship take an unexpected turn as the couple go on a road trip in the US. Secrets, passion, and twists lie ahead for the pair in what promises to be a thrilling and emotionally charged story. In an effort to fix their relationship, Liv suggests going on an American road trip which Will sees as a chance to reconcile.

However, Will is unaware of Liv’s hidden intentions behind the road trip. The grandeur of national sights like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite also happens to provide Liv with the opportunity to exact her revenge. In the midst of the beauty of the National Parks, Liv and Will come across Cara, who is Will’s colleague.

Cara is a young American woman with a thriving career and a devoted boyfriend, Garth. The two of them get mixed up in Liv and Will’s lives with the four of them going on hiking adventures together. The more they travel together, the more their fates become intertwined which set in motion a series of events that could change their lives forever.

Dickens teased what viewers can expect from the upcoming show.

“Who doesn’t know someone who’s been cheated on? That gut punch on discovery, the trail of paranoia and suspicion it leaves behind, the difficulty of trusting again. It’s enough to tip anyone over the edge. And that’s where we meet our heroine, Liv, as she’s lied to over and over by the man she loves. Of course, she wants revenge, and I, for one, hope she gets it,” said Dickens.

What Else to Expect from Wilderness

Coleman and Jackson-Cohen also talked about what Wilderness is really about in the interview. Including the dynamic shared by their characters.

“It feels like a story about womanhood but within that, an exploration of being pushed to the breaking point,” said the actress. “So many female members of the crew said to me, ‘I’ve felt like that.’ It’s going to be interesting to see how viewers react to things that feel extreme but familiar. From the off, it was easy, and a pleasure to film with Oliver, which you need because this series is so dark. We were giddy and playful! It was like we were on a mad, wonky road trip together. We filmed in Bariff and Las Vegas and at the ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s house’ in New York. Then, at the Grand Canyon, when were at the edge of a cliff, it was breathtaking. It was so big and cinematic.”

“We need the audience to understand why Liv stays with Will. It felt important to build a side to Will that was not a villain but a flawed person who’s loving and hurtful,” said Jackson-Cohen. “Viewers will hate him but we go through such a journey that hopefully people change the way they think of both of them. Some of the biggest themes are betrayal and good versus evil. Wilderness shows love in its best and worst light and what the effect of being in love does to someone. We both come from a similar approach and crafting Liv and Will with Jenna has been a joy. She’s phenomenal.”

Wilderness Release Date

Get ready to see Wilderness premiere on Prime Video on September 15, 2023.

Will you be watching? Sound off in our comment section below!