Netflix dropped a trailer for the new series adaptation of William Golding’s 1954 classic, “The Lord of the Flies.”

It’s the first television adaptation of the novel and hits the streaming service May 4 after a British premiere earlier this year. 

The story follows a group of boys stranded on a tropical island after a plane crash. One of the boys, Ralph (Winston Sawyers), tries to lead the boys in the hopes of survival and rescue. But when Jack (Lox Pratt) starts a rebellion, any hope for structure breaks down and devolves into violence. 

“When a group of schoolboys crash-lands on a tropical island, their attempts to survive are threatened by the lure of their darkest instincts,” a summary of the plot reads. 

The series also stars David McKenna as Piggy and Rory Kinnear as Ralph’s father. 

The four-episode series was created by Jack Thorne and directed by Marc Munden.

About the writer

Danielle Haynes is the co-founder and co-editor of Booked & Screened, covering book-to-screen adaptations, film and TV development. Like just about everyone in the American public school system, she read this book as a teenager.