Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s ‘Inheritance’ Is Now ‘Possession’
Mbatha-Raw’s new supernatural thriller is set between Bristol and Jamaica.
The last time we talked about Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s latest forthcoming series at Sky, it was in relation to Phoebe Dynevor, who also had a TV series with the same name, Inheritance. It’s far from the first time we’ve seen multiple projects announced with extremely similar titles (if not exactly the same) – it’s a form of “twinning,” a phenomenon that has been a part of Hollywood since it first started making movies.
In true Sky style, there hasn’t been much on the series other than its original announcement – unlike some other networks, it’s not one to put out press releases with clapperboards or announce the conclusion of filming. Aside from the first image above, which we missed while working on the relaunch, there hasn’t been much promotion yet.
However, that’s about to change, as Sky has not only released the first trailer for the series, but it’s also dealt with that pesky little problem. It also introduced a brand-new title for the show: Possession. As in, the supernatural kind.
Here’s the limited series synopsis:
Claudia, an ambitious young bi‑racial lawyer, travels to Jamaica to challenge an inheritance claim made by a local man, Cudjoe East, against Oliver Connaught, a wealthy white aristocrat. But the case takes an unsettling turn when Claudia discovers that the disputed estate is the very place that has haunted her nightmares: Hope Hill, the Connaught family’s former plantation.
As Claudia and Oliver dig deeper, they uncover a disturbing link between the plantation’s brutal past and the injustices still shaping the present. Possession is a gripping supernatural thriller that blends eerie mystery with the vibrant energy of Jamaica, following one woman’s journey into long-buried secrets, identity, and the past’s enduring hold on the present.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Surface) stars as Claudia, with Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary) as Oliver, and Sheldon Shepherd (Bob Marley: One Love) as Cudjoe. The series co-stars Bel Powley (Everything I Know About Love) as Charlotte, Nadean Rawlins (Get Millie Black) as Mercy, Sean Gilder (Mary & George) as Tom McKenzie, Olunike Adeliyi (Frankie Drake Mysteries) as Patsy Dawkins, Richard Dillane (Wolf Hall) as Eugene Desfrienes, Diveen Henry (The Day of the Jackal) as Flora, Jack Bandeira (Happy Valley) as Kenneth Connaught, Shantol Jackson (Death in Paradise) as Sarah, Jeff Crossley (FarEye) as Angelo, and newcomer Safina Simpson as Betina.
Written and created by Karla Crome (Toxic Town), the series is based on an original story by Jefferson Bannis. Director Storm Saulter (Sprinter) helmed all five installments, Kate Ogborn producing. Crome, Saulter, Mbatha-Raw, and Miller all executive produce, alongside Ruth Kenley-Letts, Jenny van der Lande, Neil Blair, Sam Hoyle, and Serena Thompson.
Possession is expected to premiere on Sky before the end of 2026. It does not yet have American distribution.
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