Academy Award-winner John Ridley will write, direct and executive produce Guerrilla, a new six-part limited series set to air on Showtime and Sky Atlantic.
The series centers on a couple whose passion propels them into making the leap from political activism to radical militancy.
Idris Elba will co-star and serve as an executive producer through his Green Door Pictures. Ridley will write the majority of the episodes and will direct the first two episodes.
The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc.
Guerrilla is a love story set against the backdrop of one of the most politically explosive times in U.K. history. It tells the story of a politically active couple whose relationship and values are tested when they liberate a political prisoner and form a radical underground cell in 1970s London.
Their ultimate target becomes the Black Power Desk, a true-life, secretive counter-intelligence unit within Special Branch dedicated to crushing all forms of black activism.
Whilst the series is set against a background of social and political activism, at its heart Guerrilla is about a relationship under pressure, and the reality that for any couple there comes a point when the choices they make have real and lasting consequences.
“We’re excited to partner with our friends at Sky to bring a fascinating and unexplored story spearheaded by John and Idris, two major creative talents at the top of their game,” said Nevins. “Guerilla will surely keep our audience at their edge of their seats.”
**Photo credit Ray Burmiston**