Benedict Cumberbatch is set to star in the gruelling BBC One drama 'The Child in Time' opposite Kelly Macdonald, which follows a writer of children's books who is faced with the worst time of his life when his young daughter goes missing during a shopping trip.

Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Child in Time'Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Child in Time'

Based on the 1987 dystopian novel of the same name by Ian McEwan (which won the Whitbread Novel Award in the year of its release), the actor plays an author named Stephen Lewis who is the sole carer of his 3-year-old daughter Kate, whose mother is his estranged wife Julie (played by Kelly Macdonald). When she goes missing in a supermarket, his whole world is turned upside just like any parent's would be - but things get strange when he starts to experience unexplained events occurring.

Stephen Campbell Moore plays Stephen's best friend Charles Darke; a fellow novellist and junior Minister in the Cabinet who works closely with the Prime Minister. His wife is an expert in quantum physics, and it's her theories that start Stephen's mind reeling about the whereabouts of his only child.

'The Child In Time' has been directed by the Primetime Emmy nominated Julian Farino ('Entourage', 'The Oranges') and written by Stephen Butchard ('The Last Kingdom', 'Schutzengel', 'Vincent'). Benedict Cumberbatch is an executive producer on the TV movie.

The Academy Award nominated star is also set to appear in the forthcoming movies: 'The Man in the Rockefeller Suit', 'Rogue Male', 'Magik' and 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'. Plus, he's completed filming on 'Thor: Ragnarok', 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'The Jungle Book', and is due to begin on 'Gypsy Boy', 'Rio' and the TV series 'Patrick Melrose'.

More: Benedict Cumberbatch fathers his second son

Kelly Macdonald, meanwhile, is currently filming 'Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2' and 'Puzzle', and has recently finished on 'Holmes and Watson' and 'Goodbye Christopher Robin'.