Donegal actress Amybeth (14) beats 1,900 hopefuls to land lead in Netflix show

Amybeth McNulty in the new Netflix series

Irish actress Amybeth McNulty has landed the leading role in a new, large production series for Netflix and CBC, the Canadian national broadcaster.

Rising star Amybeth (14), from Co Donegal, has been cast as the gifted and imaginative Anne Shirley in the new series Anne.

Based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic novel, Anne of Green Gables, the show began production in Canada in September.

The series centres on a young orphaned girl in the late 1890s.

Executive producer Miranda de Pencier said 1,889 girls were auditioned from around the globe for the role.

"We are thrilled to have found the incredibly versatile and delightful Amybeth McNulty to play this world-renowned heroine alongside the rest of our brilliant cast," she said.

Amybeth, who describes herself as Irish-Canadian, has previously appeared in the RTE drama series Clean Break.