“I hope young girls watch it and go, ‘Yes, I can stand up for myself, I can do anything'”: Interviews with the cast of Sky’s supernatural thriller The Rising

The Rising is the new Sky series based on Belgian crime thriller Hotel Beau Séjour (which reportedly counts Stephen King among its fans) by director Ed Lilly (VS). It follows tenacious teenage motocross biker Neve, who emerges from a lake the morning after a party in the woods with no memory of how she got there. She makes her way home, but it quickly becomes apparent something is amiss – her family can’t see or hear her. She’s covered in injuries. It then hits her: she’s been violently murdered. It’s from this macabre premise the show takes off, with Neve on the hunt for her own killer – and everyone is a suspect.

Danish actor Clara Rugaard (I Am Mother) stars as Neve in this coming-of-age drama meets murder mystery with a supernatural thriller twist, alongside Solly MacLeod (as her suspicious boyfriend), Nenda Neururer (as her troubled friend Alex), Emily Taafe (her devoted, devastated mother, Maria) and Matthew McNulty (her wayward biological father, Tom). It’s an original take on a well-trod genre and explores themes such as love, justice and the pursuit of truth while empowering its protagonist and subverting the trope of the passive victim to give her agency.

The Upcoming had the chance to chat with the cast ahead of the launch of the series. Rugaard, Neururer and McLeod spoke about their roles, shooting in the Lake District and what they hope people will take away from watching the series.

We also spoke with Taaffe, McNulty and Alex Lanipekun (who plays Daniel Sands) about the making of the show and the themes it touches upon.

Sarah Bradbury

The Rising is released on Sky Max and NOW on 22^nd April 2022.

Watch the trailer for The Rising here: