Flemyng, Rouass join 'Primeval' cast

Jason Flemyng and Laila Rouass have joined the cast of Primeval for the ITV show's extended third season, which has entered production today.

41-year-old Flemyng, best known for roles in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Stardust, will play Danny Quinn - 'a maverick policeman drawn into the mystery by the death of his brother'. Rouass, who became a sex symbol after her role as Amber in Footballers' Wives, will take on the role of Egyptologist Sarah Page.

The comparatively unknown Ben Mansfield will also be joining Nick Cutter's monster-fighting team as their bodyguard Captain Becker.

The regular cast of Douglas Henshall, Hannah Spearritt, Ben Miller, Andrew-Lee Potts, Lucy Brown and Juliet Aubrey are all back, but there is no news as to whether James Murray's character Stephen will be resurrected following his apparent demise at the end of the second season.

Monsters to be encountered by the ARC team during the third season's ten episodes, to be broadcast in early 2009, include the fearsome Giganotosaurus, a demonic crocodile Pristichampus and the dragon Dracorex.

Primeval's producer Tim Haines said: "I'm delighted that Primeval is back and its extended run of ten episodes demonstrates not only a confidence at ITV, but a real
desire from the fans to see more of Cutter and the team in action."

> Show creators Adrian Hodges and Tim Haines chat to DS