Watership Down Voice Cast & Character Guide

Here's our handy guide to the voice cast of the BBC's new adaptation of Watership Down. Based on the 1972 classic novel by Richard Adams, Watership Down is adapted by Tom Bidwell and directed by Noam Murro.

Set in rural England, Watership Down tells the story of a group of rabbits who flee their warren after Fiver, one of the rabbits, sees a vision of man destroying their habitat. Led by Fiver's brother, Hazel, the group set out on a dangerous journey towards Watership Down, their hallowed refuge. The series will air in two feature-length episodes on BBC One in the U.K., and will be available in four one-hour episodes on Netflix for international viewers. An all star cast lend their voices to the bunnies, and here's who plays who.

James McAvoy is Hazel: Hazel is the leader of the rabbits, and the only one to believe Fiver's visions at first. He is very good at encouraging and supporting the others, inspiring their respect and loyalty, making him a natural choice of leader.

Nicolas Hoult is Fiver: Hazel's younger brother, and a prophet or seer. His visions propel him, Hazel and others to leave the warren when he foresees the destruction of their home. His visions also enable him to save his brother's life, and to guide the other rabbits through the danger of the snared warren.

Ben Kingsley is General Woundwort: There couldn't be a better choice to voice the main antagonist of Watership Down. General Woundwort has a tragic backstory, having witnessed the death of both his parents. This event shaped him, but rather than using it for good, he has become a tyrannical and fearsome leader. Forget all you thought about the cute nature of rabbits; General Woundwort is not a nice creature.

Peter Capaldi is Kehaar: Kehaar is a black gull, with an injured wing. He takes refuge on Watership Down. He's renowned for being impatient, but Hazel and the other rabbits eventually befriend him.

John Boyega is Bigwig: The toughest and most experienced of the Watership Down rabbits. He leads the most dangerous missions and defends the warren, nearly losing his own life in one battle. He is known for his sarcasm and impatience, and quickly becomes friends with Kehaar.

Daniel Kaluuya is Bluebell: Bluebell manages to survive the destruction of his warren at Sandleford, and makes it to Watership Down. He is the joker of the pack, which often keeps the others going in times of hardship.

Rosamund Pike is The Black Rabbit of Inle: Originally a male character, The Black Rabbit is a dark phantom servant of The Great Frith, often talked about in rabbit folklore.

Gemma Arterton is Clover: A very beautiful, strong angora rabbit, Clover mates with Holly, delivering the second litter of Watership Down.

Olivia Colman is Strawberry: Another character that was originally written as male, Strawberry is a valued adviser to the warren, though she has to work hard to earn their trust.

Taron Egerton is El-Ahrairah: Another character from rabbit folklore, he carries many of the traits that the rabbits aspire to, in particular the dedication to protecting the warren.

Tom Wilkinson is Threarah: Chief Rabbit of Sandleford Warren. He dismisses Fiver's warnings and doesn't chase after him, Hazel or the others when they escape. His ignorance eventually proves to be his undoing.

Lee Ingleby is Captain Campion: Despite being on General Woundwort's side, Campion is liked by Hazel and Bigwig.

Freddie Fox is Captain Holly: He follows Threarah, and tries to arrest Hazel on the night they escape the warren. Eventually, he realizes the error of his ways, leaves Sandleford and heads to Watership Down, where he becomes a loyal follower of Hazel.

Daniel Rigby is Dandelion: Along with Bluebell, Holly is a joker of the pack. In the book, he's known for being exceptionally fast, but in the original TV series, he was known as one of the slowest rabbits.

Anne-Marie Duff is Hyzenthlay: Another seer, she helps a team of does to escape from General Woundwart's regime. She is much admired by Bigwig, and eventually goes on to mate with Hazel.

Miles Jupp is Blackberry: An exceptionally smart rabbit, he works out concepts that other animals cannot grasp. He realizes that wood floats, which later benefits the rabbits. He also works out how to dismantle a snare, which saves Bigwig's life.

James Faulkner is Frith: Another mythical character, he is the sun-god, and the creator of the universe. Like God, but in rabbit form.

Rory Kinnear is Cowslip: Cowslip is huge. He lives in Cowslip's burrow, and eats a lot of food that comes from the farm. Despite many of his rabbits being trapped and killed, Cowslip doesn't acknowledge that anything is wrong. He tries to attack a group of the Sandleford rabbits but is unsuccessful. He also refuses to help Bigwig when he's trapped in the farmer's snare.

Mackenzie Crook is Hawkbit: A loyal, dependable follower of Hazel, he is known to be rather slow, but he's still well-liked by the others.

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Watership Down is available now on Netflix.