Greater Manchester is quite the hotspot for filming huge TV shows and films, and the next one that has just been released is The Stolen Girl. Available now on Disney+, The Stolen Girl was filmed largely in Manchester and the story developed into being set in Manchester – alongside the beautiful backdrop of rural France, where the cast and crew spent around five weeks.
The series tells the story of fascinating, relatable and complex women in an unimaginable situation. A seemingly ordinary decision turns the world of Elisa, mum to two young kids, upside down in this tense thriller. When her nine-year-old daughter Lucia excitedly asks to go on an overnight playdate with her new best friend Josie, Elisa agrees.
After meeting Josie’s mother, Rebecca, she’s put at ease by her charming nature and their impressive house. But when she says goodnight to her daughter, she has no idea that she is about to be thrust into every parent’s worst nightmare. The next day, when Elisa goes to pick up Lucia, she discovers that the beautiful house was a holiday rental – Lucia is missing, and Rebecca and Josie have vanished. What started out as her daughter’s first sleepover has turned into an abduction.
As an urgent manhunt unfolds across Europe, Elisa and her husband Fred find themselves the object of police and public scrutiny. Elisa’s perfect family begins to unravel under the pressure, and long-buried secrets come to light.
Rebecca took Lucia for a reason. And as viewers learn more about the tangled lives of these women, the question of whether Rebecca was justified in kidnapping the little girl arises – and if she might be better off staying hidden.
Starring Denise Gough (Andor), Holliday Grainger (Strike), Ambika Mod (One Day), Jim Sturgess (Cloud Atlas), Bronagh Waugh (The Suspect), and Michael Workeye (My Lady Jane), the series is adapted by Catherine Moulton (Baptiste) from the best-selling novel by Alex Dahl (Playdate) and is directed by Eva Husson (Mothering Sunday).
Manchester’s Whalley Range provided the perfect setting for Selma’s suburban flat, with the crew having toyed with setting it more centrally in the Northern Quarter, and the team credits Manchester for much of the urban vibe of the series. Other locations used included The Glass House in Liverpool’s Fulwood Park, Blackpool Airport and the Port of Dover.
You can immerse yourself into the world of The Stolen Girl – and spot any Manchester scenes – right now on Disney+.