Filming begins on TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s book Normal People

Filming has started on a TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s hit novel Normal People.

The 12-part series will star Cold Feet actress Daisy Edgar Jones as Marianne and Paul Mescal in his first television role as Connell.

It has previously been announced that Room filmmaker Lenny Abrahamson and Howard’s End’s Hettie McDonald will share the directorial duties.

Rooney has penned the adaptation alongside writers Alice Birch and Mark O’Rowe, and the series will be produced by Element Pictures, the production company behind The Favourite, The Lobster and Room.

The book follows the relationship between Marianne and Connell from the end of their school days in a small town in the west of Ireland to their undergraduate years at Trinity College.

At school, he’s popular and clever while she’s bullied and excluded for being intimidating and different, but the pair establish a connection when Connell comes to pick up his mother from her cleaning job at Marianne’s house.

When they are both studying in Dublin, the dynamic between them shifts as Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell struggles to feel at home.

It was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2018 and was named 2019’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards.

Rooney, who will also serve as executive producer, said: “As a long-time admirer of Lenny Abrahamson’s work, it’s a special privilege for me to be working alongside him on the adaptation of Normal People.

“I couldn’t be happier with the cast and team we’ve put together, and I’m very excited to watch them bringing new life to the story on screen.”

Abrahamson added: “It’s incredibly exciting to be bringing Sally Rooney’s extraordinary novel to the screen with such a brilliant cast and crew.

“In Daisy Edgar Jones and Paul Mescal, I feel I have found two young actors who can vividly capture Marianne and Connell and bring alive the profound and beautiful relationship at the centre of the story.

“It’s also lovely for me to be shooting in Ireland again and telling an Irish story after shooting abroad. The film and TV industry here is full of talented and committed people who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.”

Filming will take place in Dublin, Sligo and Italy.

Normal People will premiere on BBC Three next year and and also air on BBC One.