When will Renegade Nell be released on Disney+?

Fantasy meets adventure in the new series from Happy Valley’s Sally Wainwright

Renegade Nell (Disney+)
Derry Girls star Louisa Harland plays fugitive Nelly Jackson. (Disney+)

Renegade Nell, the latest project from Happy Valley screenwriter Sally Wainwright, mixes fairies, fantasy and adventure to present a new action-packed series that’s coming soon to Disney+.

The show marks a whimsical twist for Wainwright who has previously specialised in gritty crime dramas like Scott & Bailey and Last Tango in Halifax. Her work on 2019’s Gentleman Jack gave things a bit of a historical flavour but it’s Renegade Nell that will mark the biggest creative departure yet for this Yorkshire-based writer.

As if the writing talent behind Happy Valley wasn’t good enough, Wainwright is also joined by Sex Education director Ben Taylor for her latest adventure. What else do we know about Renegade Nell? Read on for a round-up of all the details you need.

When will Renegade Nell be released on Disney+?

Renegade Nell (Disney+)
Renegade Nell is the new show from Happy Valley screenwriter Sally Wainwright. (Disney+)

Renegade Nell will be released on Friday, 29 March on Disney+. The series will consist of eight episodes, all of which will be available to view at once, making it perfect for binging.

Is there a trailer for Renegade Nell?

The first trailer for Renegade Nell arrived in February 2024 and while its runtime was short, its impact was pretty big.

Throughout the teaser, we’re introduced to the mysterious ‘Highway Woman’ known as Nelly Jackson - a fighter, survivor and rough-and-ready heroine who appears to have a few magically enhanced gifts up her sleeve.

Who is starring in Renegade Nell?

Renegade Nell (Disney+)
Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed plays Nell's sprite friend Billy Blind. (Disney+)

Derry Girls star Louisa Harland will play the show’s leading lady Nelly Jackson, a young woman on the run who must rely on her superpowered side-kick to survive. Speaking of which, Ted Lasso’s Nick Mohammed will play Nelly’s fairy friend Billy Blind - a sprite who helps out whenever Nelly finds herself in a bind.

Nip/Tuck and star of Disney’s 90s live-action 101 Dalmations movie, Joely Richardson, plays newspaper magnate Lady Eularia Moggerhanger, with The Walking Dead’s Frank Dillane playing the loveable rogue Charles Devereux.

Renegade Nell (Disney+)
Orange is the New Black Star Alice Kremelberg plays Sofia. (Disney+)

Hot on Nell’s heels is Trigger Point’s Adrien Lester as the Earl of Poynton and Orange is the New Black actor Alice Kremelberg as Sofia, a young widow who also doesn’t have Nell’s best interests in mind but soon discovers that their fates are intertwined.

Also expect to see The Lazarus Project’s Enyi Okoronkwo as stable boy Rasselas, Line of Duty’s Craig Parkinson as Nell’s father Sam and The Crown’s Pip Torrens as Lord Blachford, father to Sofia and her cruel brother Thomas played by Get Even star Jake Dunn. Meanwhile, Florence Keen and Bo Bragason will play Nell’s sisters, George and Roxy, respectively.

What is the plot for Renegade Nell?

Renegade Nell (Disney+)
Joely Richardson plays newspaper magnate Lady Eularia Moggerhanger. (Disney+)

Giving fantasy a historical twist, Renegade Nell promises to tell a story that combines murder, magic and intrigue. Set in England in 1705, we follow Nell Jackson, a woman who finds herself on the run and wanted for a murder that she didn’t commit. Thankfully, she’s assisted by her sprite pal Billy who helps her avoid the authorities while she works to clear her name.

As the show's official synopsis details, “Framed for murder and on the run with her sisters, Nell Jackson (Louisa Harland) turns her hand to highway robbery to survive.

“Aided by her superpowered sidekick, a plucky little sprite called Billy Blind (Nick Mohammed), Nell realizes that fate has put her on the wrong side of the law for a reason much bigger than she could have ever imagined: to defeat a magical plot against the Queen of England.”


Renegade Nell arrives on Disney+ on Friday, 29 March.