Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Kingsman: The Secret Service) has taken on the lead role in the upcoming espionage thriller Deep State. This series is the first regional scripted commission from FOX Networks Group Europe and Africa. The drama, which will be split into eight hour-long episodes, is set in Britain, the United States, Iran, Lebanon and France. It was written by Matthew Parkhill, Simon Maxwell and Steve Thompson. The first four episodes will be directed by Robert Connolly (The Slap, Paper Planes) and Parkhill will direct the second four. The show is produced by Hilary Bevan Jones’ Endor Productions.
Strong will play “Max Easton, an ex-spy caught between the past and the present. When he is brought back into the game to avenge the death of his son, he finds himself at the heart of a covert intelligence war and a conspiracy to profit from the spread of chaos throughout the Middle East.”
“Every now and again a script comes along that you just can’t put down and Deep State is exactly that – a great example of the best kind of writing,” said Strong. “I’m incredibly proud to be working with FNG on their first regional scripted commission. They have put together an excellent team and I’m very much looking forward to collaborating with Robert Connolly, Matthew Parkhill, Hilary Bevan Jones. With scripts from Matthew, Simon Maxwell and Steve Thompson, producers Tom Nash and Khadija Alami and with David Higgs as DoP and Pat Campbell designing, it makes this for me an unmissable opportunity to return to television.”
Deep State will begin production in May and will air in over 50 countries on FOX.
