Deadline
Benedict Cumberbatch To Headline HBO Limited Series About Poisoned KGB Agent Alexander Litvinenko
HBO is developing Londongrad, a limited series based on Alan Cowell’s book The Terminal Spy, about poisoned KBG agent Alexander Litvinenko, with Benedict Cumberbatch set to star as Litvinenko, Deadline has confirmed. Cumberbatch also will executive produce the project via his Sunnymarch production banner.
Written by David Scarpa, Londongrad tells the true story of Alexander Litvinenko, played by Cumberbatch, the former KGB agent poisoned by the radioactive isotope Polonium-210 in 2006 in England.
Scarpa will executive produce with Cumberbatch. Bryan Fogel will direct and executive produce via Orwell Productions. Len Amato of Crash&Salvage also will executive produce alongside Adam Ackland and Claire Marshall of Sunnymarch.
On the television side, Cumberbatch received Emmy and BAFTA award nominations for his role as detective Sherlock Holmes in BBC’s Sherlock. He also recently starred as the title character in Showtime limited series Patrick Melrose. Cumberbatch received a leading actor Oscar nomination for his work in The Imitation Game and currently plays Dr. Strange in the Marvel film franchise.