Disney+ announce new Anne Frank series A Small Light - release date, cast and how to watch

Told with a modern sensibility, Disney+ limited series A Small Light will tell the remarkable story of Miep Gies, the Dutch citizen who risked everything to hide Anne Frank and her family in Amsterdam.  Miep Gies was a young, carefree and opinionated woman when her boss, Otto Frank, asked her to help hide his family from the Nazis during WWII.

Without hesitation, Miep agreed and for the next two years, she and her daring and devoted husband Jan,with several other everyday heroes, watched over the Frank, van Pels and Pfeffer families hiding in the secret annex. The new series details how Miep’s life changed the moment she said “yes”. From daily food runs to scrounging for ration coupons to selling beloved heirlooms, it took countless selfless sacrifices.

In the end, it was Miep who found Anne Frank’s diary and preserved it so  she and Otto could later share it with the world to ensure it served as a testament for generations to come. Filmed on location in Amsterdam and Prague, A Small Light also reveals that in addition to hiding the eight souls in the annex from the Nazis, the brave couple were simultaneously hiding many others in and around Amsterdam with the help of the Dutch Resistance. 

The series title comes from something Miep said late in her life: “I don’t like being called a hero because no one should ever think you have to be special to help others. Even an ordinary secretary or a housewife or a teenager can turn on a small light in a dark room.”

But when will A Small Light be released and who is in the cast? Here’s everything you need to know.

A Small Light Disney+ release date

A Small Light will be released on Disney+ on Tuesday, May 2 in the UK. It is yet to be announced whether the series will be released in full or in weekly instalments.

Who is in the cast of A Small Light?

Bel Powley will lead the cast as main character Miep Gies. Liev Schreiber will star as Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father who asked Miep to help hide his family from the Nazis during WWII.

Former Gangs of London and Peaky Blinders actor Joe Cole stars as Miep’s devoted husband, Jan. Other cast members include:

• Amira Casar as Edith Frank
• Billie Boullet as Anne Frank 
• Ashley Brooke as Margot Frank
• Andy Nyman as Hermann van Pels
• Caroline Catz as Auguste van Pels
• Rudi Goodman as Peter van Pels 
• Noah Taylor as Dr. Fritz Pfeffer
• Eleanor Tomlinson as Tess
• Sally Messham as Bep Voskuijl
• Ian McElhinney as Johannes Kleiman
• Nicholas Burns as Victor Kugler
• Liza Sadovy as Mrs. Stoppelman
• Laurie Kynaston as Casmir
• Sebastian Armesto as Max Stoppelman