Filming resumes on Around The World In 80 Days adaption starring David Tennant

Filming on David Tennant’s new adaptation of Jules Verne’s Around The World In 80 Days has resumed in Romania.

The eight-part BBC drama started production in February but shut down shortly after as coronavirus spread internationally.

Filming will now take place across the next five months in locations and studios in Romania and South Africa.

Broadchurch and Doctor Who star Tennant, who plays adventurer Phileas Fogg, will be joined by French star Ibrahim Koma and The Crown’s Leonie Benesch.

The programme will see Fogg and his valet Passepartout (Koma) try to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days, joined by aspiring journalist Abigail Fix (Benesch).

Des star Jason Watkins will feature as Fix’s father, newspaper owner Bernard Fortescue, and Poldark’s Peter Sullivan plays Fogg’s sceptical childhood friend Nyle Bellamy.

Guest actors include Lindsay Duncan, Dolly Wells, Richard Wilson, Faical Elkihel, Anthony Flanagan, Gary Beadle and Giovanni Scifoni.

The Slim Film + Television and Federation co-production was adapted by a team of writers led by Life On Mars’ Ashley Pharoah.

Co-executive producer Simon Crawford-Collins, from Slim Film + Television, said: “We are over the moon to be recommencing filming on Around The World In 80 Days, having gathered such an exciting and truly international cast, led by David, Ibrahim and Leonie.

“This project is such a challenging and ambitious series to put together so it has required a huge amount of support on all fronts to pull it off.

“We couldn’t have achieved it without our wonderful production team, our stellar cast, our super supportive broadcasters and financiers, the inventiveness of our directors and the ingenuity of our wonderful writing team led by Ashley Pharoah.”

Co-executive producer Pascal Breton, from Federation, said: “We’re delighted that the combination of a legendary work by Jules Verne and the alliance of public broadcasters France Televisions, ZDF and RAI has created this year’s most ambitious European series, already sold to the BBC in the UK, Seven in Australia, Masterpiece PBS in the US and in several other territories.

“We’re also closing negotiations soon with additional international platforms.”

The production team is working with local governments in Romania and South Africa and are adhering to filming guidelines.