Succession legend confirmed for 'visceral' TV remake of Alfred Hitchcock classic

Succession star Sarah Snook has been announced as the lead star in a TV remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller, The Birds.

The upcoming limited series, which will modernise the story, follows Snook as Myra Massey, a divorcée who returns to her hometown with her young daughter.

Once there, she starts looking into a childhood friend’s disappearance, though the synopsis warns: “With a killer on the loose and personal threats mounting, she fights to protect her daughter against a terrifying new menace: vicious, deadly bird attacks inexplicably tied to the crime.”

The original film, based on the novella by Daphne du Maurier, was released 1963, and starred Tippi Hedren as Melanie Daniels.

The casting announcement, first reported by Deadline, confirms there will be major differences from the source material, with Myra Massey not a character that featured in the original story.

Other cast members are yet to be announced.

The upcoming project has already been a year in the making, with the pilot penned by Tom Spezialy, whose previous writing credits include episodes of The Leftovers, Ash vs Evil Dead, and Desperate Housewives.

Spezialy and Snook will both serve as executive producers on the project.

The Birds is Snook’s first major TV role since 2025 thriller series All Her Fault, which was nominated for seven Primetime Emmys.

She is best known for playing the calculated Shiv Roy in HBO favourite Succession, and last year she won a Tony Award for her performance in a one-woman stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Filming for The Birds is yet to commence, with a release date not yet known.

The Birds is coming to HBO Max.

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Authors

Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.