ITV today (August 16) revealed that acclaimed actress Helen McCrory would be leading the cast of new visceral political thriller, Fearless.
Helen McCrory in Penny Dreadful / Credit: Showtime
Taking on the role of Emma Blunt, McCrory steps into the shoes of a solicitor 'known for defending lost causes'.
She's tasked with investigating the killing of a schoolgirl in East Anglia, trying to free the man she thinks was wrongly convicted of her murder. Digging deeper into the case however she senses powerful forces at work in the police and intelligence services, as well as those abroad, who do their best to stop her uncovering the truth.
The show is written by Homeland writer and executive producer Patrick Harbinson, with production coming from Mammoth Screen.
McCrory said of her role: "When I was at drama school I was inspired by Prime Suspect, watching as Britain led the way in creating strong female characters to lead their dramas. I'm thrilled to be leading ITV's new drama - it's a thriller that starts deceptively small, then begins crossing borders to different cultures and continents.
"I knew and admired Patrick Harbinson's writing for Homeland, and Pete Travis and I have worked together before - that shorthand is so important on such a big project with ambitions running high. I can't wait to start filming."
Harbinson added: "When, three years ago, Damien Timmer asked me if I was interested in writing a legal series inspired by the work of lawyers like Gareth Peirce and Helena Kennedy, I immediately said yes. Much of the work I've done in American in the last 10 years has been about life in the post 9/11 (and post 7/7) world. The so-called War on Terror has put serious stress on the ordinary workings of the law. National security justifies all sorts of police and state over-reach - and the great majority of us are prepared to accept this. So I wanted to create a character who challenges these assumptions, who fights for those outside the normal run of society, and who is uncompromising, difficult, and completely indifferent to unpopularity and danger. The result was Emma Blunt and Fearless..."
Of the casting, he continued: "I'm delighted that Helen McCrory has agreed to play Emma. She is a complex and contradictory character, and I am incredibly lucky to have someone of Helen's wit, warmth and intelligence bringing her to life."
Controller of Drama, Victoria Fea who commissioned the series said: "Emma Blunt is the kind of character who hates to back down. Against all the odds she's driven by the unfolding mystery of that 2003 murder and whether the killer was unjustly convicted. Fearless is a complex, taut thriller and we're delighted to be commissioning the series from Mammoth Screen."
Filming for the six-part series begins in London and East Anglia this September.
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