Sorry, Stephen King fans, this isn’t the miniseries reboot you’ve been hoping for. Not to be confused with the King novel or 2002 miniseries adaptation, Red Rose is a new horror series from BBC and Netflix coming soon. It will follow a group of teens who download an app that seems controlled by an evil entity, trying to force them to commit acts and threaten them if they don’t.

The series comes from the minds of Michael and Paul Clarkson, well-known for their other Netflix horror series, The Haunting of Bly Manor. Deadline confirmed the streamer had won both the international and domestic rights to the series in 2020. At that time, it was set to begin production in June, but the global pandemic put those plans on hold. The series is co-produced by eOne and Eleven.

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Though it will take some time for Red Rose to be available, here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming horror series.

Red Rose: The Plot

     BBC/Netflix

With no trailer or teaser out, all we have is the synopsis to clue us into what horror awaits our screens. It looks like summer vacation may be taking a turn for the worse for some teens in the United Kingdom. The main character, Rochelle Jones, downloads a mysterious app that causes her and her friends’ summer to turn upside down.

The immediate thought that comes to mind is the app seems eerily similar to internet challenges that have gone viral in recent years. The “Blue Whale Challenge” was an online phenomenon that encouraged teens around the world to participate in challenges over the span of 50 days. These challenges steadily got worse over time, with the last one being particularly harmful. While the challenge appears to have been created after discussions of tragic deaths in Russia, the details connected to it are similar to how the Red Rose app is described. It remains to be seen what the app could make them do, but based on the show’s branding as a horror, it probably won’t be picking flowers or helping the elderly across the street.

The synopsis also mentions the dark web. The dark web houses many things, but could it house the creator of the Red Rose app? Potentially. Films like Unfriended: Dark Web explore what lurks beneath the surface online, from sinister “games” to places to purchase anything your heart desires. Is there a group of people on the dark web selecting the challenges for the app? Are certain teens or groups of people targeted to install it? These answers remain to be seen, if they’re answered at all, but they are a good starting point to speculate where the series could go.

Red Rose: The Cast

     Netflix

The cast list was recently announced and includes some newcomers to the silver screen. Amelia Clarkson (The Last Kingdom), Isis Hainsworth (Metal Lords), Ali Khan (Halo), Ashna Rabheru (Sex Education), Adam Nagaitis (The Terror), Ellis Howard (Catherine the Great), Samuel Anderson (Doctor Who), and Natalie Gavin (Line of Duty) are set to appear in the series. Stage actors Harry Redding and Natalie Blair are also in the cast, making Red Rose their television debut.

Release Date

The series is currently filming in Bolton, North West England. It is confirmed to have eight parts, though it isn’t known how soon it will reach Netflix. It will likely arrive next year, maybe as early as next summer. It will be available on Netflix and aired on BBC iPlayer and BBC Three when it’s released.

Everything Else We Know

In 2021, Netflix and BBC announced they were partnering to create dramas that featured disabled individuals, specifically those who are neurodivergent, deaf, and/or disabled, in front of and behind the camera. This was released after the collaboration between the two was confirmed for Red Rose, meaning it isn’t clear if this initiative will also apply to the horror series. Due to the production delays caused by the pandemic, it could, but as of now, it isn’t known.

While you wait for Red Rose to be released, be careful of the apps you download and steer clear of the dark web.