Anne with an E

Anne is an upcoming eight-part TV series to be produced and broadcast by the CBC in spring 2017. The series will be streamed globally on Netflix.

Synopsis
Anne is described as a coming-of-age story about an outsider who fights for acceptance, for her place in the world and for love. The drama revolves around a young orphaned girl who, after an abusive childhood spent in orphanages and the homes of strangers, is mistakenly sent to live with an elderly spinster and her aging brother.

Over time, 13-year-old Anne will transform their lives and eventually the small town in which they live, with her unique spirit, fierce intellect and brilliant imagination. While the new series will follow a similar storyline to the book that millions of readers around the world know and love, it will also chart new territory. Anne and the rest of the characters in and around Green Gables will experience new adventures reflecting timeless issues, including themes of identity, sexism, bullying, prejudice and trusting oneself.

Cast

 * Amybeth McNulty as Anne Shirley
 * Geraldine James as Marilla Cuthbert
 * R.H. Thomson as Matthew Cuthbert
 * Dalila Bela as Diana Barry
 * Corrine Koslo as Rachel Lynde
 * Aymeric Jett Montaz as Jerry Baynard
 * Lucas Jade Zumann as Gilbert Blythe
 * Kyla Matthews as Ruby Gillis
 * Christian Martyn as Billy Andrews (6/8)
 * Stephen Tracey as Mr. Phillips
 * Jacob Ursomarzo as Moody Spurgeon

Crew

 * Costume Designer: Anne Dixon
 * Directors: Niki Caro (1/8), David Evans (1/8)
 * Director of Photography: Bobby Shore
 * Double: Emily Roman (Anne Shirley)
 * Executive Producers: Miranda de Pencier, Debra Hayward, Alison Owen, Moira Walley-Beckett
 * Key Hair Stylist: RaMona Fleetwood
 * Producer: Susan Murdoch
 * Production Designer: Jean-François Campeau
 * Script Supervisor: Stacy Scalisi
 * Writer: Moira Walley-Beckett

''The following information was taken from the IMDb Cast & Crew page. It should not be considered to be a definitive and accurate list until further confirmation by a relevant source (such as statements made by cast and crew themselves, official press releases or the episode ending credits).''
 * Cast: Tyler Barish (Newsie), Adam Crew (Fisherman), David Ingram (Mr. Andrews), Helen Johns (Eliza Barry), Helene Robbie (Elegant Woman)
 * Art Department: Jonathan Davis, Joe Dias, Bernie Gauvin, Craig Harris, Sam Alex Kay, Tanya Lemke, Samantha Little, Dave Temesy, Paul Vernon, Mike White
 * Art Direction: Andrew Berry
 * Camera and Electrical Department: Christopher Chung, Stephen Maia, David McKane
 * Editors: David Coulson, D. Gillian Truster
 * Makeup Department: Diane Mazur, Larissa Palaszczuk
 * Set Decoration: Friday Myers
 * Stunt Doubles: Sharon Canovas (Anne), Aj Risi (Gilbert), Adam Winlove-Smith (Matthew)
 * Other Crew: Kevin Kirkham, Jeffrey Simlett

Behind the scenes
Casting Production notes
 * On October 21, 2016, it was announced that Amybeth McNulty, Geraldine James and R.H. Thomson would play the roles as Anne Shirley, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert respectively.
 * R.H. Thomson, who will play Matthew Cuthbert, is well known for his roles as Jasper Dale and Jeremiah Dale in Road to Avonlea (1990–1996).
 * Amybeth McNulty was picked after the producers saw over 1,889 girls from around the globe for the role of Anne. She initially auditioned online from her home in Donegal, Ireland.
 * On January 12, 2016, CBC announced that it has greenlit a new straight-to-series adaptation of Anne of Green Gables.
 * The series began production in the spring with shooting in September 2016 for a CBC and Neflix debut in 2017.
 * Miranda de Pencier, one of the series producers, portrayed Josie Pye in Anne of Green Gables (1985), Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (1987) and Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story (2000).
 * The worldwide search for the actress who would play Anne Shirley started in May 2016 with open casting calls held in Canadian cities from coast to coast, namely Toronto (May 7-8), Vancouver (May 14-15), Charlottetown (May 28) and Halifax (May 29-30). Those living abroad or unable to attend casting calls could upload their audition video on the casting call website until June 5.
 * The casting call describes Anne as, "11-14 year old girl, max. height 5'4", the smaller and wispier the better. Anne is impoverished and underfed. Anne is not old-fashioned, precious or glib. She’s a modern girl with a massive heart, a sense of justice, a searing intellect and, for better and for worse, an inability to self-edit. She is spunky, forthright, full of imagination, quirky and interesting. She is also a deeply wounded kid — she bears the emotional scars of the abusive life she’s led so far. Anne is full of contradictions, insecurities and deep emotions in a time when emotions were not welcomed or acceptable. ANNE will explore what it means to be a young person navigating adolescence and facing a changing era."
 * The three days long prep shooting began in Prince Edward Island on September 14, 2016. The crew officially started filming and began principal photography on September 22 in Ontario. The filming locations included Milton, Pickering (Green Gables), Caledon (Lake of Shining Waters), Markham (Hammond House), Dundas (Asylum), Georgetown, Ancaster, North York, Tottenham, Millbrook and Toronto.
 * The filming of the pilot episode wrapped on October 27, 2016.
 * As of December 5, the show was half-way through shooting Season 1. The filming is planned to wrap on February 3, 2017.
 * Although the crew wanted to film as many scenes as possible in Prince Edward Island, it was not possible because of budgetary reasons. According to Miranda de Pencier the show couldn't afford to transplant the more than 200 cast and crew needed for each episode.
 * For the scenes filmed in Prince Edward Island about 25 Islanders as well as other crew from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were employed.
 * R.H. Thomson, who plays Matthew Cuthbert, has East Coast connections and his authentic Maritime accent had to be toned down because he sounded too unlike the other actors.
 * The crew have crushed hundreds of red bricks into sand and they are carting truckloads of red roads around in Ontario to make the ground similar to the Prince Edward Island roads. They also made sure the hem of the women's skirts are scuffed with red dirt to make it feel real, earthy and authentic.
 * An existing farmhouse that looks very much like Green Gables was found in Pickering, Ontario. However, the crew had to replace its new roof.
 * De Pencier admitted that Anne has a much higher budget than typical Canadian dramas. She added that it's a period drama budget — comparable to U.S. and international cable dramas.
 * The production tries to be as authentic as possible, including the details such as hand-stitched seams on costumes or lighting with candles and oil lamps.
 * Season 1 takes place in the 1890s Canada, showing a 13-year-old Anne Shirley through her first year at Green Gables.
 * De Pencier hopes the show will be renewed for seasons to come.