David Tennant plays Alexander Litvinenko
Filming is underway on a new ITV drama, Litvinenko, based on the dramatic real-life events of 2006 in which Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian Federal Security Services and KGB officer, died from polonium poisoning.
Litvinenko’s death sparked one of the most complex and dangerous investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police; Scotland Yard officers worked for ten years to prove who was responsible.
David Tennant plays Litvinenko; production began around three weeks ago and is due to finish at the end of October. The drama comes from Tiger Aspect and ITV Studios; Jim Field Smith directs and Chris May produces.
George Kay has written the four-part series. He said: “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.”
Litvinenko is produced with the support of many of the key individuals involved in the investigation and subsequent public enquiry including former Scotland Yard officers, Clive Timmons and Brent Hyatt, along with Ben Emmerson QC and Alexander’s family. Mark Bonnar will play Clive Timmons, whilst Neil Maskell plays Brent Hyatt.
Executive producer for ITV Studios, Patrick Spence, added: “This one is a privilege, a once in a career opportunity to tell a story about a family and a police team who have shown such courage and resilience that it has inspired us all.”
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