Netflix’s Feral: Jessica Gunning Reportedly Set To Lead A Dark Thriller Compared To Lord of the Flies

Jessica Gunning, who rose to international fame with Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, is reportedly returning to the streamer for a very different kind of story.

The actress is said to be starring in Feral, a darkly comic thriller inspired by Shirley Conran’s 1987 novel Savages. The project has already attracted attention for its unusual premise: a group of privileged women are forced to confront a far more dangerous side of themselves after becoming stranded in a hostile tropical environment.

The concept has prompted repeated comparisons to Lord of the Flies, although the new series approaches the idea through the experiences of women rather than a group of boys.

A survival story with a darker twist

According to Deadline, Feral follows four women from very different backgrounds who are forced to survive on a lethal tropical island after their husbands are kidnapped.

The original novel takes the premise even further, following five women who go from being the wives of powerful executives to widows struggling to survive in the jungle. Cut off from their former lives, they gradually encounter instincts and capabilities they never knew they possessed.

That transformation is at the heart of why readers have long referred to Savages as a female counterpart to Lord of the Flies.

One Goodreads reader described it as a memorable “female Lord of the Flies” story, praising the way the novel explores the power struggle between its characters.

Another reader called it captivating and suspenseful, particularly enjoying the contrast between the women’s privileged lives and the dangers they face after being stranded on the island. Amazon’s description similarly presents the book as a combination of Desperate Housewives and Lord of the Flies.

Jessica Gunning takes on a very different role

Gunning is reportedly set to play Annie, described by Deadline as a dutiful wife who has put aside her own ambitions to raise four sons while living under the control of her domineering husband, Duncan.

Netflix has reportedly been approached for confirmation of Gunning’s involvement.

If confirmed, the role would mark another major step for the actress following her acclaimed performance in Baby Reindeer, the Richard Gadd drama that premiered on Netflix in April 2024.

The series became a global phenomenon and brought Gunning widespread recognition. Her performance also earned her major industry attention, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, where she competed alongside actresses she had admired throughout her career.

Gunning previously reflected on the unexpected success of Baby Reindeer in a March 2025 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, saying she had never expected the project to reach such a huge international audience.

She explained that she had initially fallen in love with the script and assumed it might become a smaller-scale success before Richard Gadd’s writing connected with viewers around the world.

What is Feral about?

At its core, the series explores what happens when women accustomed to comfortable, protected lives are suddenly stripped of that security.

The kidnapping of their husbands leaves the women facing a dangerous environment where survival becomes their immediate priority. As they adapt to their new circumstances, the boundaries between the people they once were and the people they need to become begin to shift.

That central idea gives the story its Lord of the Flies comparisons, while the source material’s focus on women, power and social expectations gives it a distinct perspective.

The series is reportedly being developed as a darkly comedic thriller, suggesting that its survival story will be balanced with a sharper and more unconventional tone.

From Baby Reindeer to Feral

For Gunning, Feral would represent a striking follow-up to one of the roles that transformed her career.

In Baby Reindeer, she played Martha, a character at the centre of the series’ disturbing and emotionally complicated story. The performance pushed Gunning into the international spotlight and earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award.

She later recalled how surreal the response had been, particularly after meeting Kathy Bates, one of the actresses she had admired for years. Gunning said Bates told her how much she loved Baby Reindeer, leaving her overwhelmed by the fact that someone she respected so deeply had watched the show.

Now, with Feral, Gunning is reportedly set to take on another complex character in a story built around survival, power and human instinct.

Feral is expected to air on Netflix.