MGM+, formerly named Epix, has picked up the limited thriller series “A Spy Among Friends.” The new series is based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Ben McIntyre. It is set to premiere in 2023.
The six-episode crime drama will retell the real-life story of two British detectives – Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby – who are also longtime friends. ,[Philby] Became the most infamous British defector and Soviet double agent in history. Philby’s deeply personal betrayals, exposed at the height of the Cold War, result in damage to British and American intelligence,” reads a description for the series.
“A Spy Among Friends” stars award-winning actor Damian Lewis (Homeland, Billions) and Emmy winner Guy Pearce (Jack Irish, Mayor of Easttown). Other cast members include Anna Maxwell (Homeland, Line of Duty), Stefan Kunken (Billions, The Handmaid’s Tale) and Adrian Edmondson (Back to Life, The Pact).
The series, which was created by British writer Alexander Cary, will be ITV Studios in partnership with Sony Pictures Television. Carey also serves as an executive producer alongside Patrick Spence (Adult Material, Litvinenko) and Nick Murphy (Save Me, A Christmas Carol) and BAFTA Award nominee Chrissy Skins (Elizabeth Is Missing, The Last Kingdom). Bob Buchman, Alan Gasmer and Peter Jessen have also been named executive producers for the series. Murphy has signed on as director.
“Alex Carey brilliantly adapts Ben Macintyre’s landmark novel about friendship, loyalty and betrayal. They, along with a remarkable cast led by Nick Murphy, Damian Lewis and Lewis and Guy Pearce, bring to life this thrilling tale of two British spies whose deep personal bonds and longstanding friendship are challenged by duplicity and deceit,” Michael Wright said the head of MGM+ in a press release for the series. “This series is emblematic of our new MGM+ brand and the rich, cinematic and character-driven stories we want to tell.”
