‘Joan’ first look: ‘GoT’ star Sophie Turner is real-life jewel thief in ’80s drama

Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner has a great new look for her latest TV drama!

The 27-year-old English actress, best known as Sansa Stark in HBO’s hit fantasy series, is starring in a new mini-series for ITVX.

Set in “the fun, brash, aspirational world of 1980s London,” Joan dramatises the life of jewel thief Joan Hannington.

The story of the UK’s most notorious jewel thief is based on her memoirs, with scripts by Anna Symon, who wrote Mrs Wilson, Indian Summers, and The Essex Serpent.

“From penniless single parent to accomplished diamond thief, Joan Hannington’s life story is a thrilling, rags-to-riches rollercoaster,” Symon previously commented.

Richard Laxton (Mrs Wilson, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe) is directing the six-part series, with filming taking place right now in and around Herne Bay, Birmingham, and the Midlands.

“I’m so excited to be bringing Joan Hannington’s fascinating life story to screen in Joan,” said Sophie Turner.

“She is one of the most notorious figures in the criminal underworld of London, earning her the nickname The Godmother,” she revealed. “A woman who goes between her thriving and daring career as a jewel thief, all whilst trying to get her daughter back from social services, we see a mother in despair swept up in the exhilarating world of crime.”

Joining Turner are Frank Dillane (The Essex Serpent) as Boisie, a London antique dealer, and Kirsty J. Curtis (Harlots) as Joan’s older sister Nancy, with Gershwyn Eustache Jnr (Top Boy) as Albie, an old acquaintance of Boisie who’s made a new life in Spain with his wife Val, played by Laura Aikman (The Split).

The cast also includes Nick Blood (Safe), Jack Greenlees (Strike), Alex Blake (The Crown), Caroline Faber (Grantchester), and Dorothy Atkinson (Stonehouse).

An official promotional photo has been released, giving us our first look at Turner as Joan Hannington in full-on ’80s garb with Frank Dillane as Boisie:

“The series opens with Joan, a fiery and uncompromising woman in her twenties who is deeply scarred and vulnerable,” the official synopsis tells us.

“She is a devoted mother to her six-year-old daughter, Kelly, but is trapped in a disastrous marriage with a violent criminal named Gary. When Gary goes on the run, Joan seizes the opportunity to create a new life for herself and her daughter.

“Adopting new identities and making new acquaintances along the way, Joan becomes a masterful jewel thief. She embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes journey that challenges her every limit, driven by her desire to care for her daughter and create a secure home for them both.

“Through her sharp intelligence, charm, and talent for impersonation and performance, we follow the twists and turns in Joan’s life, the ups and downs, the heartache and the joy that makes this story so compelling to follow.”

When’s the release date?

Joan is expected to premiere in the UK exclusively on ITV’s new free streaming platform ITVX later this year.

It’ll air on The CW in the US.

And if you’re missing Game of Thrones, a second season of prequel series House of the Dragon is set to arrive in 2024!

The complete Game of Thrones box set is available on DVD on Amazon.