Wilderness: release date, cast, plot, trailer, interviews and all about Jenna Coleman's revenge thriller set in the US National Parks
Wilderness on Prime Video stars The Serpent’s Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (The Haunting of Bly Manor). The thriller series sees a British couple’s dream holiday descend into the stuff of nightmares. The pair play Liv and Will, who seem to have it all and are enjoying a glamorous new life in New York. But then Liv learns about Will’s affair and when he suggests a road trip around America’s stunning National Parks, it seems the perfect opportunity for her to exact her revenge. Taylor Swift sings the theme tune too!
So here's everything you need to know about Wilderness on Prime Video...
Wilderness release date
Wilderness launches in over 240 countries and territories on Friday Spetember 15 2023. so a big part of autumn 2023 TV shows worldwide.
Is there a trailer for Wilderness?
Yes a trailer is for Wilderness has just been released by Amazon Prime VIdeo showing Jenna and Oliver's characters Liv and Will driving through a remote region of America's West. Below it is a teaser trailer reveals Taylor Swift’s Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version), the song of the opening titles, a re-recorded track from Reputation. Wilderness looks terrific as you can see from both trailers below...
Wilderness plot
Based on the novel Wilderness by B. E. Jones, this thriller focuses on Liv and Will (Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen), a British couple who have left behind their life in a provincial town in the UK to enjoy a glamorous existence in New York. Their marriage seems rock solid but then Liv discovers that Will has had an affair with a younger colleague. She’s heartbroken but her sadness soon turns to fury and she's determined to get revenge...
When Will suggests an epic trip around The Grand Canyon and America’s other national parks, she secretly vows to set him certain tests before she will accept that he is truly sorry and forgive him. Will has two weeks, 1,500 miles and three opportunities to save his own life. Because if their marriage can’t survive, then neither can he! Out in the American wIlderness accidents can and wiill happen.
While trekking through the epic American National Parks, the couple bump into Will’s colleague Cara (Ashley Benson), a young American woman with a glittering career and an adoring boyfriend, Garth (Eric Barlow). Liv’s best-laid plans are wrecked and, as the foursome go hiking together, Cara and Garth soon find themselves enmeshed in Will and Liv’s lives in a way that will change the course of all their future’s forever.
Wilderness is a twisted love story, where a dream holiday and a supposedly “happily-ever-after” quickly turns into a living nightmare.
Wilderness cast — Jenna Coleman on playing Liv
In Wilderness, Jenna Coleman plays scorned wife Liv. In an interview done before the current US writers' strike, Jenna reveals: "It becomes a roller coaster and an unexpected journey. There’s a domino effect that’s uncontrollable. It’s heightened but grounded in an emotional, truthful experience. Liv is from Wales and uses humour as a defence 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 feels like a story about womanhood but within that, an exploration of being pushed to breaking point. 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 Banff and Las Vegas and at the ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s house’ in New York. Then, at the Grand Canyon, when we were at the edge of a cliff, it was breathtaking. It was so big and cinematic.
* Jenna Coleman first found fame playing Jasmine Thomas in Emmerdale for four years before moving on to Waterloo Road. She then played Clara in Doctor Who and Queen Victoria in ITV series Victoria before starring in the huge hit The Serpent, about the real-life killer Charles Sobhraj (see picture below). She's also had roles in The Cry, Inside No.9, Titanic and Dancing on the Edge.
Wilderness cast — Oliver Jackson-Cohen on playing Will
Wilderness star Oliver Jackson-Cohen plays cheating husband Will, who has no idea his life is in danger. In an interview done before the current US writers' strike, Oliver reveals: "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. The show is about whether it’s possible to repair the damage, but Will hasn’t been honest about everything he’s done. He’s in constant survival mode to preserve his marriage.
"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. 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.
"The place where we filmed a white-water rafting scene was beautiful. We spent two days on a raft going down the river. Will ends up in the water and I’ve never been so cold!"
* Oliver Jackson-Cohen previously starred alongside Elizabeth Moss in the 2020 movie The Invisible Man. He’s also been in Lark Rise to Candleford, Will & Kate: Before Happily Ever After (playing Prince William), Mr Selfridge, Dracula, The Great Fire, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor (see picture below). Oliver is the son of famous British fashion designer Betty Jackson.
Who else is starring in Wilderness?
Wilderness will also star Ashley Benson (Pretty Little Liars) who plays Cara. Trouble brews when Will’s glamorous but vulnerable lover turns up on his and Liv’s road trip with her boyfriend Garth played by Eric Balfour (Six Feet Under). Cara’s good-natured carpenter boyfriend seems relaxed about teaming up with Will and Liv on their travels.
Claire Rushbrook (Sherwood) as Liv's mum Caryl, Liv’s lonely mum who lives in Wales and is still resentful about the breakdown of her own relationship with Liv’s dad.
Ash, played by Morgana Van Peebles, is a spirited American who is Liv’s friend and neighbour and offers her a shoulder to cry on following Will’s affair. Talia Balsam plays Bonnie, Will’s formidable boss is the hotel’s head of PR and has words of warning for Liv about how to lead her life.
Marsha Stephanie Blake (Orange is the New Black) is Detective Rawlins, a dedicated and talented cop has to make a shrewd assessment of events when Liv crosses her path. Jonathan Keltz plays Detective Wiseman, who is Rawlins’ colleague who works well with her, but he has very different views on how they should treat Liv. Crystal Blint (The Fall of the House of Usher) plays Liana, Natalie Sharp (The Flash) is Marissa, Geoff Gustafson (A Christmas Proposal) is Zach and Jake Foy (Designated Survivor) plays Anton.
Behind the scenes, locations and more on the thriller Wilderness
Filming for Amazon Prime Video's Wilderness began in June 2022 in the UK, United States and Canada.
Wilderness is produced by Firebird Pictures, written and created by Marnie Dickens, directed and executive produced by So Yong Kim and executive produced by Elizabeth Kilgarriff and Marnie Dickens.
Marnie Dickens explains "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.”
