Jenna Coleman to star in The Serpent

Jenna Coleman is to star in new BBC One and Netflix drama \'The Serpent\'.

The \'Victoria\' star will play Marie-Andrée Leclerc, the partner and frequent accomplice of suspected serial killer Charles Sobhraj (Tahar Rahim) in the upcoming eight-part series.

Sobhraj was the chief suspect in the unsolved murders of up to 20 young Western travellers across India, Thailand and Nepal\'s \'Hippie Trail\' between 1975 and 1976.

The murderer was a master of disguise and managed to evade authorities on several occasions meaning that by 1976 the serial killer was Interpol\'s most wanted man and had arrest warrants on three different continents.

The drama series will show Sobhraj chased by junior diplomat Herman Knippenberg (Billy Howle) across the \'Hippie Trail\', as Knippenberg seeks to bring Sobhraj to justice for his heinous crimes.

Discussing her casting in \'The Serpent\', former \'Doctor Who\' star Jenna said: "\'The Serpent\' intoxicated me into the dark seductive world of Charles Sobhraj. I\'m so looking forward to delving into \'Hippie Trail\' depths and bringing to life this unfathomable real life story alongside Tahar, Billy, Ellie, Tom, Richard and the wonderful cast and production team for the BBC and Netflix."

Howle added: "When I heard about the story behind \'The Serpent\', I couldn\'t believe what I was reading. What an interesting role, in a fascinating story, with a brilliant team behind it - shooting in such a great part of the world, as well. I feel really fortunate to be a part of this project."

\'The Serpent\' has been written by \'Ripper Street\' scribes Richard Warlow and Toby Finlay and has been directed by Tom Shankland, who also worked on the period crime drama and on BBC miniseries \'Les Misérables\'.

The series is shooting on location in Thailand and will premiere on BBC One in the UK, and on Netflix outside of the UK and Ireland.