The 1947 film Black Narcissus is remembered for its lush Oscar-winning visuals, technical wizardry ahead of its time, and…well, a very erotic story set within a small convent of Anglican nuns. It’s undoubtedly one of the more unusual classics, but a classic it definitely is, and FX is hoping to recapture some of that magic with limited series starring Gemma Arterton.
Gemma Arterton? Sexy nuns? Yes, please.
As seen in the new trailer, this Black Narcissus is largely following in the shoes of its predecessor. Based on the novel by Rumer Godden, it centers on a group of young nuns who attempt to establish a mission in the Hamalayas, only to have the arrival of a handsome WWI veteran, played by Alessandro Nivola, lead one down the path of temptation.
The series is directed by Dutch cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen who has done some amazing work on A Quiet Place, Fences, and Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt and Far from the Madding Crowd. Also in the cast are Aisling Franciosi, Diana Rigg, Jim Broadbent, Rosie Cavaliero, Karen Bryson, and Gina McKee.
Black Narcissus premieres on FX on November 23rd, with new episodes hitting Hulu the next day.
SYNOPSIS: Black Narcissus is a three-part limited series based on the best-selling novel by Rumer Godden. Mopu, Himalayas, 1934. A remote clifftop palace once known as the ‘House of Women’ holds many dark secrets. When the young nuns of St. Faith attempt to establish a mission there, its haunting mysteries awaken forbidden desires that seem destined to repeat a terrible tragedy. During the latter years of British rule in India, ambitious young nun Sister Clodagh heads a mission to a remote part of the Himalayas. The palace of Mopu has been donated by General Toda Rai, who hopes the Sisters of St. Faith will rid the ‘House of Women’ of unhappy memories connected to his late sister, Srimati. Although Clodagh ignores the warnings of the General’s raffish agent Mr. Dean, isolation and illness soon take their toll, with the haunting atmosphere of the palace particularly affecting volatile Sister Ruth. As past and present collide, the arrival of the young General Dilip Rai is the catalyst for an explosion of repressed desires that may end in a fatal confrontation.
