London – FOX Networks Group (FNG) Europe and Africa has announced that the critically acclaimed British actor, Mark Strong has joined their first regional scripted commission. Officially titled Deep State, this drama formKLirsts part of the group’s strategy to source, develop and produce original productions at a regional level.
Written by Matthew Parkhill , Simon Maxwell and Steve Thompson , Deep State is an intense, character-driven espionage thriller that will air in over 50 countries on the region’s leading entertainment channel, FOX.
Strong, the Olivier award winning and BAFTA/Tony nominated actor, will play the lead role of Max Easton, a man caught between two versions of himself, the past and the present. An ex-spy, Max is brought back into the game to avenge the death of his son, only to find himself at the heart of a covert intelligence war and a conspiracy to profit from the spread of chaos throughout the Middle East.
Showrunner Matthew Parkhill said, “Deep State is a grounded, visceral thriller. It moves between the deeply personal story of a family man fighting to escape his past and the violent, dark excesses of government and global corporate power”. Alongside Strong, breakthrough talent Karima McAdams has joined to play the part of Leyla Toumi, a smart and uncompromising elite, intelligence operative. The series will begin shooting in May 2017.
Additional creative talents have also been confirmed including Robert Connolly, who will be directing episodes one to four. Connolly garnered much acclaim for his work on BAFTA nominated ABC/BBC mini-series The Slap, and recently directed Australian box office smash hit film Paper Planes starring Sam Worthington and Deborah Mailman. Other credits include the multi award winning political thriller Balibo starring Golden Globe winner Oscar Isaac and Anthony LaPaglia.
Fox Networks Group Content Distribution hold exclusive global distribution rights for the series, working in partnership with FNG Europe & Africa. FNG Europe & Africa operates 151 channels, from 28 offices, broadcasting in 52 countries. Through genre defining channel brands FOX, FOX Sports and National Geographic, FNG Europe & Africa is watched by over 250 million viewers, 40% of the population, in 150 million households making it the pan-regional leader for entertainment, factual and sports programming*.
