A heavily bearded Colin Farrell is completely unrecognisable in new photos from the BBC Two drama The North Water.

The Dubliner plays harpooner and killer Henry Drax in Andrew Haigh’s upcoming adaptation of Ian McGuire's novel, also titled The North Water.

A first look at the five-part series shows Farrell transformed as Drax with long hair and a full beard as he smokes a pipe aboard his ship.

The Hollywood actor stars alongside Stephen Graham as Brownlee, the Volunteer's Captain, who is shown in the new images wearing a full-length fur coat stood next to Farrell on the deck of a ship.

Also appearing in the drama are Skins actor Jack O'Connell as ex-army surgeon Patrick Sumner and Sir Tom Courtenay as the ship’s owner Baxter.

Based on Ian McGuire’s award-winning novel, The North Water tells the story of Sumner, who signs up as a ship’s doctor on a whaling expedition to the Arctic.

When he meets Drax, played by Farrell, confrontation between the two men erupts and the true purpose of the expedition becomes clear.

The production travelled as far as 81 degrees north to film some scenes, the furthest point north it is believed a drama series has ever filmed.

The North Water will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer this autumn.