A Spy Among Friends coming to BritBox

Six part UK period spy drama A Spy Among Friends will screen on BritBox later this year.

The first-ever adaption of the novel by Ben Macintyre stars Damian Lewis (Homeland, Billions) and Guy Pearce (Jack Irish, Mare of Easttown).

The cast also includes Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland, Line of Duty) and Stephen Kunken (Billions, The Handmaid’s Tale) and Adrian Edmondson (Back to Life, The Pact).

The series was created by Alexander Cary (Homeland, Taken), who is producing alongside Patrick Spence (Adult Material, Fortitude, Peaky Blinders).

Country Manager of BritBox Australia Moira Hogan said: “With its outstanding cast and high quality production, A Spy Among Friends tells the story of close friendship and complete betrayal against the backdrop of the Cold War. This is a fascinating insight into a world of elite British spies and we’re thrilled to bring A Spy Among Friends as a Britbox Original to audiences.”

An airdate is yet to be announced.

A Spy Among Friends dramatises the true story of betrayal and friendship, set in the secretive world of espionage, marking as one of the most notorious traitor stories in British spy history. Guy Pearce stars as the charming Kim Philby, and Damian Lewis plays his colleague and long time friend, Nicholas Elliott.

The six-episode limited series follows a friendship that resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence at the height of the Cold War and shaped the field of play for a dangerous game against Russia that still continues today.

Kim Philby is England’s most famous traitor from the Cold War era, who was recruited by Soviet Intelligence to penetrate MI6; something he was able to do undetected for thirty years. Nicholas Elliott was a highly respected intelligence officer who discovered his closest friend of 23 years had been betraying him from the very beginning.

The limited series is directed by BAFTA award-winner Nick Murphy (Save Me, A Christmas Carol) and produced by BAFTA award-winner Chrissy Skinns (Elizabeth is Missing, The Last Kingdom). Bob Bookman, Alan Gasmer, Peter Jaysen are executive producers for Veritas Entertainment Group. Damian Lewis will also serve as executive producer through his production company, Ginger Biscuit Entertainment.

The series is produced in collaboration with Sony Pictures Television, ITV Studios and Veritas Entertainment Group. A Spy Among Friends will be broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITVX later this year. The series is distributed internationally by Sony Pictures Television.