A new five-part limited series on Disney+ and Hulu, The Stolen Girl, brings a real-life international child abduction case to the screen, combining psychological drama with the emotional complexity of parental loss.
The series, which premiered April 16, is adapted from the 2020 novel Playdate by Norwegian author Alex Dahl and inspired by the true story of Maureen Dabbagh, whose daughter was abducted and taken to the Middle East in the 1990s.
Starring Denise Gough, Holliday Grainger and Ambika Mod, the series was directed by Eva Husson and written by Catherine Moulton. It was filmed primarily in Manchester and France and produced by Quay Street Productions and Brightstar for Disney+, Freeform and Hulu.
What’s ‘The Stolen Girl’ About?
The Stolen Girl centers on Elisa, a mother of two who reluctantly allows her 9-year-old daughter Lucia to attend a sleepover at the home of her new friend Josie. After meeting Josie’s mother, Rebecca, and being reassured by her demeanor and home, Elisa agrees. But when she returns to collect her daughter the next day, the house turns out to be a rental, and Rebecca, Josie and Lucia are gone.
What begins as an ordinary parental milestone descends into a nightmare as a cross-border search unfolds. The psychological tension deepens as Elisa and her husband Fred are scrutinized by law enforcement and media, their family strained by mounting secrets. In a statement, Disney described it as a story that “tells the story of fascinating, relatable and complex women in an unimaginable situation.”
Why It Matters
The Stolen Girl explores the trauma of international child abduction from the perspective of the left-behind parent while drawing on systemic gaps that real victims face.
According to a 2024 annual report from the U.S. Department of State, the
Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Office of Children’s Issues handled “721 active abduction cases involving 982 children and 69 access cases involving 92 children. Of those 721 abduction cases, 316 were opened in 2023.”
The show translates that persistence and desperation into a suspense-driven narrative that reflects the emotional and legal complexities of such cases.
Is ‘The Stolen Girl’ Based on a True Story?
Yes. While The Stolen Girl is adapted from Dahl’s novel, the core story is rooted in a real-life child abduction case involving Dabbagh. According to an Associated Press (AP) report, Dabbagh’s daughter was abducted by her ex-husband and taken overseas in 1993. For over a decade, Dabbagh pursued various channels—legal, diplomatic and ultimately clandestine—to recover her child. She eventually trained as a recovery agent herself, according to AP.
Who’s in the Cast for ‘The Stolen Girl’?
The lead role of Elisa Blix is played by Gough, known for Andor. Grainger stars as Rebecca, the woman at the center of the abduction. The cast also includes Mod as journalist Selma, Jim Sturgess, Bronagh Waugh and Michael Workéyè. Moulton, who previously worked on Baptiste, wrote the adaptation. Husson directed the series.
How Many Episodes for ‘The Stolen Girl’?
The series is structured as a five-part limited event. All five episodes premiered simultaneously on Disney+ in the U.K. on April 16. In the U.S., Freeform began airing the episodes weekly starting on the same date, with each becoming available the following day on Hulu.
What People Are Saying
Dahl posted to Instagram in March: “I’ve waited for this since the day Playdate was optioned for the screen by the awesome teams at @quaystreetproductions and Brightstar in the midst of the pandemic. It’s been a true joy watching the series take shape through development, production and filming, attaching amazing cast and crew, and being executive producer has definitely made me very excited to continue working across both books and screen.”
What’s Next
The entire series is available for streaming on Disney+ in the U.K. In the U.S., new episodes air at 10 p.m. ET Wednesdays on Freeform and become available to stream the next day on Hulu. As audiences continue to engage with the story, the show may deepen public awareness of international parental abduction cases and the fraught, often invisible journey to bring children home.
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