Josh Hartnett and Eva Green Cast in Penny Dreadful TV Series

Josh Hartnett and Eva Green are to star as the two leads in a new eight-part horror drama series Penny Dreadful, penned by John Logan with Skyfall director Sam Mendes set as Executive Producer.

Showtime announced at the beginning of the year that Logan and Mendes would be in collaboration again after their work together on Skyfall, however there has been little news since then. The latest casting news shows that Showtime has faith in the series which is backed by producer Pippa Harris and Mendes who are both partners in Neal Street Productions.

Penny Dreadful is described as a “psycho-sexual” horror series that will feature classic characters from horror literature such as Dr Frankenstein’s monster, Dorian Gray and Van Helsing set in London during the Victorian era. Here are the main character descriptions from The Hollywood Reporter:

“Hartnett will play Ethan Chandler, a man of action and daring who isn't afraid of violence. He's charming and brash but there are demons behind his eyes. He's more complicated than he likes to admit.”

“Green will play Vanessa, the singular female of the story. She's enigmatic with haunted eyes and utterly composed. She will prove herself a force to be reckoned with and the heroine of the series.”

Josh Hartnett has previously starred in The Black Dahlia and 30 Days of Night, and Eva Green’s recent work includes Dark Shadows and Camelot the television series. Production on Penny Dreadful will begin this October in London and is expected to air on Showtime in spring 2014. *This story comes from Daily Dead reader Jemma George