BritBox boards Luke Evans drama

North American subscription service BritBox is boarding a forthcoming Luke Evans-fronted drama as a coproducer with one of its parent companies, UK broadcaster ITV.

Simon Heath

The Pembrokeshire Murders will premiere on BritBox in the US and Canada in 2021 as a result of the copro.

The true-crime limited series focuses on historic cold cases in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and stars Evans (Fate of the Furious, Beauty and the Beast) as Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins.

Written by Nick Stevens (In Plain Sight) and executive produced by Simon Heath (Bodyguard, Line of Duty) at World Productions, the series explores the groundbreaking methods used by Wilkins and his team that set the standard for future cold case investigations.

The drama is based on The Pembrokeshire Murders: Catching the Bullseye Killer, the factual account Wilkins wrote with ITV journalist Jonathan Hill after senior investigating officer Wilkins reopened two seemingly unlinked 1980s double murder cases.

BritBox is a joint venture between ITV and BBC Studios, the commercial arm of UK pubcaster the BBC, and is available in North America for US$6.99 per month. AMC Networks is a minority investor in the service.

“With a strong cast and suspenseful writing, The Pembrokeshire Murders is a perfect combination of classic crime drama and modern storytelling that is a perfect fit for BritBox,” said BritBox president and CEO Soumya Sriraman.

This title adds to BritBox’s slate of originals that includes Mum, starring Lesley Manville; There She Goes, starring David Tennant; The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco with Rachael Stirling; The Mallorca Files; and Sister Boniface, the Father Brown spin-off which premieres later this year.