Full Cast confirmed for Abi Morgan's River

The full cast has been announced for a new crime drama River written and created by Abi Morgan who most recently brought us The Hour.

Stellan Skarsgård has been cast in the lead role as John River  a brilliant police officer whose genius and fault-line is the fragility of his mind - a man haunted by the murder victims whose cases he must lay to rest. Meanwhile Nicola Walker will star as his colleague and confidant DS Jackie 'Stevie Stevenson'.

John River's other colleagues in the police will include DS Ira King, played by Utopia's Adeel Akhtar and Chief Inspector Chrissie Reid; who is to be portrayed by Lesley Manville. Meanwhile Eddie Marsan will feature throughout the series as a notorious killer who haunts River. The cast is rounded out by Sorcha Cusack as Stevie's mother and Georgina Rich as police psychiatrist Rosa.

Of the casting Morgan says, "actors are agents of change. They carry the vision of an entire creative team. A show like River needs broad shoulders and I can't think of anyone better than Stellan Skarsgård to take on this challenge and lead this brilliant cast.”

Lucy Richer, Executive Producer for the BBC, says: “We’re thrilled to have such a fantastic cast joining Stellan Skarsgård and I know that they, along with Abi Morgan’s incredible script, will make River an unmissable series.”

River will air on BBC One in 2015