Cast, trailer and filming locations behind the nail-biting Netflix thriller, Canada Reviews

Netflix is kickstarting 2026 with a knotty new crime thriller courtesy of bestselling author Harlan Coben.

Adapted from the 2019 novel of the same name, Run Away features a cast stacked with some of Britain’s strongest TV actors.

Coben’s works have already been big hits with the streamer, including Fool Me Once and Missing You.

Here’s what you need to know about the series, and its surprising setting.

Photo: NetflixRuth Jones is a private investigator in the Netflix adaptation of Run Away

What is Run Away about?

Run Away focuses on the Greene family and their attempts to track down missing daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange) after she becomes entangled in a mysterious cult at university.

The family is soon fractured when other secrets come to light and their actions come under scrutiny of the police.

Meanwhile, private investigator Elena Ravenscroft tries to unravel the mystery behind several other missing person cases and finds a connection to the cult that Paige has become involved with.

‘Run Away is about family – about what we will do to keep our family intact, what secrets we keep within our family,’ notes Coben. ‘Every time you walk past the house, there’s a whole universe that goes on behind that door and none of us have a clue what it is.’

Run Away filming locations

The eight-part series shifts the book’s New York setting to England’s northwest, just like previous Netflix adaptations of Harlan Coben’s novels including Fool Me Once and Stay Close.

Alexandra Park in Oldham

The series opens with Simon Greene (James Nesbitt) tracking down his missing daughter Paige, who is busking in a park. He comes to blows with his daughter’s boyfriend, who he blames for her disappearance.

The showdown was filmed at Alexandra Park in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The gardens were built in 1861 as a way to keep people in work when the local textile industry was hit by a cotton famine.

Other green spaces used in the series include Heaton Park in Manchester and West Park in Macclesfield.

Manchester’s Northern Quarter

Filming for scenes inside the police station took place in a building situated in the heart of Manchester’s bustling Northern Quarter, though this brought a challenge of its own.

‘It was around the time of the Champions League semi-finals, and the location was St Peter’s Square which is right in the heart of the Northern Quarter in Manchester,’ remembers Alfred Enoch, who plays DS Fagbenle. ‘That was quite noisy.’

Evelyn’s restaurant was used to film scenes inside a cafe where private investigator Elena Ravenscroft (Ruth Jones) looks into a mystery.

Manchester Crown Court

Scenes outside the police station with Simon and his lawyer Jessica were filmed outside Manchester Crown Court.

Alderley Science Park, Cheshire

Scenes set in the hospital where Ingrid Greene works were filmed at Alderley Science Park. The laboratory space spans over one million square feet with scientists working across biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, and even has its own onsite pub and 400 acres of walking routes that are open to the public to explore.

Manchester University

Flashbacks show the Greene family taking daughter Paige to the fictional Lanford University. Later in the series, Simon goes back to the university to speak to other students about his daughter and her actions in the days before she vanished.

Other locations used for the university grounds include Saint John’s Gardens in Manchester and Oddfellows Hall.

Hat Works in Stockport — Photograph: John B Hewitt / Shutterstock.comStockport’s Hat Works

Stockport, Manchester

Stockport locals witnessed Ruth Jones filming for Run Away. The actress was spotted getting into a Volkswagen vehicle just outside of the local Egerton Arms pub.

Thornbridge Hall, Bakewell

Scenes showing the headquarters of cult group Shining Haven were filmed at Thornbridge Hall, Bakewell.

The Grade II listed property was built in 1150 and is open to the public for house tours and to explore its vast gardens.

‘The house for the cult was quite hard to find because that is something that is so particular,’ notes executive producer Richard Fee. ‘It has got to have a big impact onscreen… [and]… feel very visually distinctive. What we found is terrific and works very well.’

Who is in the cast?

James Nesbitt plays Simon Greene, a father searching for his missing daughter.

Nesbitt previously appeared in another Harlan Coben adaptation, playing DS Michael Broome in Stay Close. His other credits include Cold Feet, Murphy’s Law and The Hobbit movies.

Minnie Driver (Emily in Paris) plays Ingrid, Simon’s wife, who tries to support the family throughout Ingrid’s disappearance but has her own secret scandals.

Ellie de Lange (Wolf Hall) takes on the role of troubled Paige, Simon and Ingrid’s daughter who runs away after finding trouble at university.

Tracy Ann Oberman (The Witcher) plays Jessica Kinberg, the lawyer who defends Simon after his public brawl goes viral.

Ruth Jones (Gavin and Stacey) is Elena Ravenscroft, a private investigator looking into the disappearing youths who uncovers a bigger conspiracy.

Annette Badland (Doctor Who) plays Lou, Elena’s tech-savvy business partner and mother-in-law, while Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter movies) is Isaac Fagbenle, a detective looking into the crimes.

Jon Pointing (Big Boys) and Maeve Courtier-Lilley (Gran Turismo) play Ash and Dee Dee, two people with a vendetta to settle that has huge ramifications for the Greene family.

How to watch Run Away on Netflix

All eight episodes will be streaming on Netflix from Monday, January 1.

Will there be more Harlan Coben shows on Netflix?

Yep! Fans of the author have plenty to look forward to after Harlan Coben signed a deal that will see Netflix adapt his novels.

Eleven of those have already made their way on to Netflix, but with the author publishing two more novels in 2025 alone, there’s plenty more screen adaptations to come.