In 2019, Fox/Disney released The Personal History of David Copperfield, a fresh, funny, diverse reimagining of the Charles Dickens classic. Well, Disney is building out their Dickensverse once again with the upcoming Hulu series The Artful Dodger, starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the skillful thief from Dickens’ Oliver Twist.
As seen in the new trailer, The Artful Dodger catches up with Jack Dawkins as he’s living his best life as a surgeon in Australia. But the Prince of Thieves’ former life as a pickpocket soon catches up with him, threatening to expose who he truly is.
The series also stars David Thewlis, Maia Mitchell, Damon Herriman, Tim Minchin, Miranda Tapsell, Susie Porter, Damien Garvey, Kym Gyngell, Vivienne Awosoga, and Albert Latailakepa. James McNamara, David Maher, and David Taylor are creators and exec-producers.
Here’s the synopsis: “The Artful Dodger” explores the adult double life of Charles Dickens’ famous prince of thieves, Jack Dawkins aka The Artful Dodger, whose fast pickpocketing fingers have turned into the skilled hands of a surgeon. Set in 1850s Australia, in the lively colony of Port Victory, Dodger’s past returns to haunt him with the arrival of Fagin, luring him back into a world of crime. A greater threat – to Dodger’s heart – is Lady Belle, the Governor’s daughter, determined to become the colony’s first female surgeon. From heists to life-and-death surgeries to the harsh realities of the criminal world mingling with the middle ground and gentry, this is a tale of reinvention, betrayal, redemption, and love with a twist.
The Artful Dodger hits Hulu on November 29th with all episodes available.