American actress Kate Bosworth and British actor Sam Riley are to take the lead roles in BBC One’s upcoming thriller SS-GB.
The five-part adaptation of Len Deighton’s novel is set in Nazi-occupied London and based on the premise that Germany won the Battle of Britain. The drama was penned by Bafta winning duo Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who are also responsible for five Bond films including Skyfall and Casino Royale
Sam will play Detective Douglas Archer, who finds himself working under the brutal SS regime. When investigating what appears to be a simple black market murder, he meets American journalist, Barbara Barga (played by Bosworth), and both find themselves dragged into London’s murky underworld.
Sam Riley as Detective Douglas Archer (Sid Gentle Films Ltd/PA)
Sam said: “Archer is a compelling and complex character. He is a good guy struggling to reconcile his job as a policeman within the repressive Nazi machine. Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have written a gripping screenplay that pays homage to Len Deighton’s novel. I am very much looking forward to working with this talented team.”
The ambitious series will be directed by the multi award-winning director Philipp Kadelbach. An established and highly-acclaimed German director, SS-GB marks Kadelbach’s first move into English-language TV series.
This will also be Kate’s first foray into UK television. The actress won critical acclaim for her role in last year’s Oscar-winning dementia drama Still Alice.
Kate Bosworth (Evan Agostini/Invision)
Yorkshire-born Sam won a Bafta Rising Star nomination for his role as Ian Curtis in Control in 2008 and has since starred alongside Angelina Jolie in Maleficent and will play Mr Darcy in the upcoming Pride And Prejudice And Zombies.
SS-GB will also star Jason Flemyng, James Cosmo and Cilla star Aneurin Barnard. It begins production this month and will screen on BBC One in 2016.
