A new BBC One drama is to explore the story of the eruption of a gigantic volcano in the Aegean Sea around 1620 BC which destroyed the island of Thera, flooded the nearby island of Crete, and possibly gave birth to the legend of Atlantis.
Based on the work of leading scientists, archaeologists and historians, Atlantis stars Starring Reece Ritchie (The Lovely Bones; Prince Of Persia ) and Stephanie Leonida (Yes; MirrorMask) and will be shot entirely against green screen using the ‘virtual backlot‘ technique used for Hollywood films including 300 and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
The drama will have a companion documentary on BBC Two in which historian Bettany Hughes traces the origins of the Atlantis myth and presents compelling evidence that the Thera eruption inspired Plato’s account of Atlantis.
Executive producer Ailsa Orr said: “Atlantis will immerse the viewer in a world they’ve never seen before, in a brand new, exciting way.
“The world of the Minoans and the disaster that wiped them out has been created using visual effects that have, to date, only ever been used in Hollywood movies.
“It offers our audiences a unique viewing experience – the closest they’ll ever get to one of the greatest natural disasters of all time.”
