Man vs Bee: release date of Rowan Atkinson Netflix comedy, trailer, and who else is in cast?

Rowan Atkinson stars in a new Netflix comedy about a man trying to swat a very infuriating bee
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Man vs Bee, a new slapstick comedy series (not a movie) from Rowan Atkinson, is arriving on Netflix on Friday 24 June.

The series sees Atkinson play Trevor, a man house sitting in a mansion – and accidentally breaking lots of expensive possessions as he tries to swat a bee.

Here’s everything you need to know about Man vs Bee.

What is Man vs Bee about?

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Trevor is a housesitter, looking to make some money to go on holiday with his young daughter – when he gets asked to stay in an elegant mansion, he’s thrilled, because it should pay well enough to cover the holiday.

It’s not long, though, before he’s caught in an elaborate battle of wits with a particularly cunning bee – and accidentally unleashes chaos as he tries to swat away the bee.

Who is in the cast?

The Bee as the Bee and Rowan Atkinson as Trevor in Man vs Bee (Credit: Netflix)The Bee as the Bee and Rowan Atkinson as Trevor in Man vs Bee (Credit: Netflix)
The Bee as the Bee and Rowan Atkinson as Trevor in Man vs Bee (Credit: Netflix)

Rowan Atkinson stars as Trevor the house sitter. You’ll know Atkinson from his collaborations with Richard Curtis, like Blackadder and Love, Actually, or from films like Johnny English – and, of course, the role Man vs Bee calls to mind most is his dramatic turn as the detective Maigret. (Or, possibly, Mr Bean. It’s definitely one of the two.)

Jing Lusi plays Nina, owner of the luxurious mansion. Lusi is maybe best known for her role in Crazy Rich Asians, but she’s also appeared in Gangs of London, Pure, and Stan Lee’s Lucky Man. Julian Rhind-Tutt (Green Wing) plays Christian, Nina’s husband.

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They’re joined by Greg McHugh (Fresh Meat, The A Word) as the Gardener, and Tom Basden (After Life) as the Police Officer. Claudie Blakley (Lennon Naked) plays Trevor’s ex-wife Christine, and Tina Fey (30 Rock) appears as Lorenzo Ruiz.

The Bee is played by a CGI bee in its first screen acting role. There’s been no word if other famous pop culture bees – like Jerry Seinfeld, Bumble from the New Zealand children’s series of the same name, or the bee from The Swarm – were considered for the role.

Who writes and directs Man vs Bee?

The series was written by Atkinson alongside his frequent collaborator William Davies, with whom he wrote all three Johnny English movies. Individually, Davies worked on the films Flushed Away, How to Train Your Dragon, and Puss in Boots.

Man vs Bee was directed by David Kerr, who directed Johnny English Strikes Again in 2018. He’s also directed episodes of Fresh Meat and Inside No. 9.

Is there a trailer?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

When can I watch Man vs Bee?

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Every episode of Man vs Bee will be(e) available to stream on Netflix as a boxset from Friday 24 June.

How many episodes of Man vs Bee are there?

There are ten episodes of Man vs Bee, each around 15 minutes long.

Where was Man vs Bee filmed?

The mansion is Man vs Bee is in Hertfordshire, a little while outside London. Some segments were filmed in Aylesbury also.

Why a bee?

Atkinson has said before he thinks the way he pronounces words beginning with the letter B is funny – hence Blackadder, Mr Bean, so on.

Why should I watch Man vs Bee?

It looks set to offer some classic Rowan Atkinson physical comedy (even if, admittedly, it feels very strange to hear him actually speak in a role like this).

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