Joan: release date, cast, plot, trailer, first look and everything we know about Sophie Turner's jewel thief drama

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Joan is set in the brash and aspirational world of 1980s London and stars Game of Thrones actor Sophie Turner as notorious real-life jewel thief Joan Hannington.

The six-part drama Joan is coming to CW in the US plus ITV1 in the UK and its free streaming service ITVX. The six-part series is from writer Anna Symon (Mrs Wilson) and helmed by award winning director Richard Laxton (The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe). It's based on Joan’s memoirs detailing her extraordinary life from petty offender to criminal mastermind.

"I’m so excited to be bringing Joan Hannington’s fascinating life story to screen in Joan," says Sophie Turner. "She’s one of the most notorious figures in the criminal underworld of London, earning her the nickname The Godmother. A woman who goes between her thriving and daring career as a jewel thief, all whilst trying to get her daughter back from social services, we see a mother in despair swept up in the exhilarating world of crime."

So here’s everything you need to know about Joan on ITVX and ITV1…

Joan release date

Joan is a six-part series set to premiere in the UK on ITV1 and ITVX in September 2024. In the US, Joan will be shown on the streaming service The CW Network from October 2 2024. We'll update with the exact UK air date as soon as we hear.

Is there a trailer for Joan?

Yes a teaser trailer for   has arrived, and handily Sophie Turner has posted it on her Instagram. Take a look below. It's got Freddie Mercury's version of The Great Pretender in the background. Very apt!

What is the plot of Joan?

Joan begins with Joan in her twenties in a disastrous marriage to a violent man Gary. When Gary goes on the run, she seizes the moment to leave her old life along with her four-year-old daughter, Debbie. Inspired by her desire to care for Debbie and create a secure home for her daughter, Joan makes some heart-breaking decisions as she sets her sights on a better life. Making full use of her sharp intelligence, charm, and her talent for impersonation and performance, we follow the twists and turns in Joan’s life, the ups and downs, the heartache and the joy.

Adopting new identities and making new acquaintances along the way, Joan becomes a masterful jewel thief. She embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes journey that challenges her every limit, driven by her desire to care for her daughter and create a secure home for them both.

Joan cast — Sophie Turner as Joan Hannington

In Joan, Sophie Turner plays petty criminal-turned-jewel thief Joan Hannington in the series. She made her acting debut as Sansa Stark in the epic fantasy series Game of Thrones and has gone on to star in X-Men Apocalypse and the HBO Max and Sky series The Staircase.

Who else is starring in Joan?

Other stars of Joan include Frank Dillane (The Essex Serpent) as London antiques dealer Boisie, Kirsty J Curtis (Harlots), who plays Joan's older sister and salon worker Nancy while Gershwyn Eustache Jnr (I May Destroy You, Top Boy) is playing Albie, an old acquaintance of Boisie who’s made a new life in Spain with his wife Val, played by Laura Aikman (The Split, Gavin & Stacey).

Also joining the series are Nick Blood (Safe), Jack Greenlees (Strike), Alex Blake (The Crown), Caroline Faber (Grantchester) and Dorothy Atkinson (The Gold, Stonehouse).

Behind the scenes and more about Joan on CW< ITV1 and ITVX?

Filming on Joan started in London in Spring 2023 (see the first look picture above). Joan writer Anna Symon met with criminal mastermind Joan Hannington several times while penning the screenplay, so we expect it to be pretty true to Joan’s real life experiences.

"From penniless single parent to accomplished diamond thief, Joan Hannington’s life story is a thrilling, rags-to-riches rollercoaster,’ says Anna, who has also adapted The Essex Serpent and Deep Water.

"I couldn’t be more excited to watch the stellar talent Sophie Turner step into Joan's shoes. Ever since I first read Joan’s explosive memoir, I have been desperate to bring her story to screen."

In addition to Anna Symon, Helen Black writes episode four. The series is helmed by BAFTA award-winning director Richard Laxton (Rain Dogs, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, Mrs Wilson) and produced with The CW Network, USA in association with All3Media International.  Joan is executive produced by Ruth Kenley-Letts (Stonehouse, The Midwich Cuckoos, Strike), CEO of Snowed-In Productions, Jenny Van Der Lande (Strike, You Don’t Know Me, Too Close) Creative Director of Snowed-In, Neil Blair (The Midwich Cuckoos, Strike, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) Chairman of Snowed-In and Richard Laxton. Paul Frift (Anansi Boys, Deep State, Good Omens) is the producer. Joan was commissioned for ITVX by ITV's Head of Drama Polly Hill.