Treason on Netflix is a super-twisty thriller that has everything from Russian spies to a lethal love triangle and a potentially deadly threat. It's been described as The Bodyguard meets John Le Carre, which makes it a definite must-watch as far as we’re concerned. Treason stars Charlie Cox as Britain's top M16 agent Adam Lawrence and also features Quantum of Solace actors Olga Kurylenko and Oona Chaplin.
So here’s everything you need to know about Treason on Netflix...
Treason release date
Treason is a six-episode series that starts worldwide on Netflix on Monday December 26 2022 (Boxing Day in the UK) so arriving nicely for the Christmas TV season.
Is there a Treason trailer?
Yes Netflix has now released its trailer for Treason and it's dripping with tension. Take a look below...
Treason plot
Treason follows Adam Lawrence, played by Charlie Cox, who was groomed and trained by M16. He seems to have his life in order, and his career seems set, but then his past comes crashing into his present in the form of Kara, a Russian spy with whom he shares a difficult history. Adam must then re-evaluate his life and finds himself in the centre of a deadly love/hate triangle with Kara and his wife Maddy, with each of them hellbent on destroying the others. All three are trying to expose each other’s secrets and navigate tricky political and diplomatic relations while attempting to keep safe those they love.
Treason cast
Here's our brief rundown of the main three main cast in Treason...
Charlie Cox as Adam Lawrence
Charlie plays M16 operator Adam. He’s starred in the movies The Theory of Everything, Wall Street, Hello Carter and Spider-Man: No Way Home. He’s also been in the Netflix series Daredevil (see below), Kin and The Defenders.
Oona Chaplin as Maddy
British star Oona plays Adam's wife Maddy. From the Chaplin acting dynasty, Oona is best known for playing Talisa Stark in Game of Thrones. She played Perla de las Dunas in Bond movie Quantum of Solace and has also appeared in Married Single Other, The Hour, The Crimson Field and My Dinner with Herve. She will also be starring in the upcoming James Cameron Avatar sequels.
Olga Kurylenko as Kara
Ukrainian-born actress and model Olga plays Russian spy Kara. The actor is also a Bond girl, having starred alongside Oona in Quantum of Solace, playing Camille. She’s also been in White Elephant, Vanishing, The Princess and Wonderland, the Girl from the Shore.
Who else is starring in Treason on Netflix?
Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones, The Terror) will play Sir Martin Angelis while The Suspect’s Adam James is Patrick Hamilton. Beau Gadsdon, Tracy Ifeachor, Avital Lvova, Brian Law, Joe Macaulay and Rishi Nair also star.
Interview: Charlie Cox on playing Adam Lawrence
Charlie Cox recently gave us his take on starring in Treason as Adam Lawrence...
"Adam’s a high-flyer who has progressed up the ranks of M16 quickly. He’s got a lot going for him in terms of his experience, expertise and charisma, and his relationships within the agency. And he has a beautiful family, with daughter Ella and son Callum, and a loving relationship with his wife, Maddy [Oona Chaplin].’
However when Kara, a disaffected Russian agent from Adam’s past played by Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, resurfaces with her own agenda, and his family find themselves in the line of fire, suddenly his life looks far from perfect as question marks arise over his past conduct.
"Adam was previously on active duty out in Baku in Azerbaikjan and wherever else he was posted, and I can’t help feeling that those situations are messy. ‘The expression: 'You have to break a few eggs to make an omelette' is probably quite apt. Ultimately there were bad decisions made, and Adam has to be held accountable for them."
As ghosts from Adam’s past come back to haunt him, the line between whether he is hero or villain grows increasingly blurred. "What he learns about what he’s willing to do to succeed in his career becomes very uncomfortable and confronting,’ says Cox. ‘Looking back on what’s happened in the past, he’s able to identify that he was on the wrong side, and therefore there will and should be consequences. But what I like about Adam is that, ultimately, he doesn’t hide behind that."
Cox got his breakthrough role as the young hero in the 2007 film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel Stardust, and says he was surprised to be playing the head of the secret service at the age of 39.
"Playing “C”, the Head of MI6, is not a role I imagined getting in my 30s," he admits. "And this is the first time that I’ve had children on camera, but I’ve skipped the whole toddler age and gone straight to playing someone with teenage kids!"
For Quantum of Solace and Black Widow star Kurylenko, who grew up in Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union, and moved to Moscow aged 15, the part of Kara and the international political backdrop to the series both struck a chord.
"The character chimed with me because she’s Russian-speaking, and that’s something I can relate to,’ she explains. ‘It’s my culture, and I know what kind of life she’d have led back in Russia. And with the Russian aspect to it, and the theme of political unrest in the UK, it felt like: ‘This is actually happening right now’ – it is so timely."
More about Treason on Netflix
Matt Charman is the creator and writer of Treason, who also serves as executive producer alongisde Foz Allan and Valery Ryan. Louise Hooper directs.
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