David Tennant is to star as the
former Russian Federal Security Services and KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko, in
a new drama commissioned by ITV and the Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group).
The four-part series, Litvinenko,
focuses on the officer’s death, from polonium poisoning in November 2006, and
the subsequent criminal investigation, one of the most complex and dangerous
investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police. Litvinenko was
written by acclaimed screenwriter George Kay (Lupin, Criminal) to tell the
story of the determined Scotland Yard Officers, many of whom supported the
drama’s production, who worked for ten years to prove who was responsible. It also
focuses upon the story of Marina, played by Margarita Levieva (The Deuce, The
Blacklist), Alexander’s fearless, dignified widow who fought tirelessly to
persuade the British Government to publicly name her husband’s killers and
acknowledge the role of the Russian State in his murder.
George Kay says, “In late 2006,
Alexander Litvinenko was a living witness to his own murder. He spent his dying
days entrusting the Metropolitan Police with the details of what happened to
him. It took those police and his remarkable widow Marina Litvinenko a decade
to have those claims ratified. Their stamina, hard work and bravery are what
make this not only an essential story of our times but a privilege to be asked
to write.”
In November 2006 two police
officers were called to University College Hospital in London to interview
a patient in declining health. The patient was Alexander Litvinenko,
a Russian dissident who claimed to have been poisoned on the direct orders of
Vladimir Putin.
During the police interviews,
Alexander provided meticulous details from his hospital bedside about the
events leading up to his illness. His information would ultimately help
detectives track down two Russians who had poisoned Litvinenko with Polonium
210, a highly toxic radioactive substance.
The iconic photograph taken of
Litvinenko at his bedside generated international headlines, and after he was
pronounced dead on November 23, Scotland Yard launched its murder
investigation.
Litvinenko co-stars Mark Bonnar
(Catastrophe, Quiz) and Neil Maskell (Small Axe, Utopia), who will play key
Scotland Yard officers Clive Timmons and Brent Hyatt. The series will be directed
by Jim Field Smith (Criminal, Truth Seekers) and produced by Chris May. It is
executive produced by Patrick Spence for ITV Studios (Adult Material,
Marvellous), Josephine Zapata Genetay for NENT Group, Lucy Bedford for Tiger
Aspect Productions (Viewpoint, The Good Karma Hospital), George Kay, Jim Field
Smith and David Tennant. The co-Producer is Richard Kerbaj for Livedrop Media
(Hunting the KGB Killers, Unmasking Jihadi John: Anatomy of a Terrorist).
Litvinenko has been commissioned
for ITV by Head of Drama, Polly Hill, who will oversee production of the series
from the channel’s perspective, and who commented, “After David’s incredible
performance as Dennis Nilsen I’m delighted he returns to ITV to play Alexander
Litvinenko in the incredible story of his murder. George Kay’s scripts are
brilliant and this is an important story that documents a long police
investigation and a powerful campaign for justice by his wife Marina. It
is going to make a compelling drama and I am proud to have it on ITV.”
Litvinenko will be distributed
internationally by ITV Studios. In the Nordic region, Baltic region, Poland and
the Netherlands, the series will premiere exclusively on NENT Group’s Viaplay
streaming service. Distribution in other regions has yet to be announced.
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