Jenna Coleman joins BBC/Netflix's Charles Sobhraj drama

Actor Jenna Coleman has joined the cast of Netflix and BBC's upcoming drama "The Serpent", based on French thief and serial killer of Vietnamese and Indian origin, Charles Sobhraj.

The show features Tahar Rahim as Sobrhaj, one of the most elusive criminals of the 20th century, who was the chief suspect in the unsolved murders of up to 20 young Western travellers across India, Thailand, and Nepal's 'hippie trail' in the mid-1970s.

According to Deadline, Coleman will play Marie-Andree Leclerc, Sobhraj's partner and frequent accomplice.

Actors Billy Howle and Ellie Bamber are also on board.

Howle will play Herman Knippenberg, a junior diplomat at the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok who unwittingly gets caught in Sobhraj's web of crime and ultimately seeks to bring him to justice. Bamber will appear as his wife, Angela.

"'The Serpent' intoxicated me into the dark seductive world of Charles Sobhraj. I'm so looking forward to delving into hippie trail depths and bringing to life this unfathomable real life story alongside Tahar, Billy, Ellie, Tom, Richard and the wonderful cast and production team for the BBC and Netflix," Coleman said.

The limited series is written by Richard Warlow and Toby Finlay and directed by Tom Shankland and Hans Herbots.

The show is filming on location in Thailand.

BBC will launch the series in the UK, while Netflix will premiere it in the US and the rest of the world.