HBO has announced a brand new limited series about poisoned KBG agent Alexander Litvinenko, played by Benedict Cumberbatch – just one month after ITV cast David Tennant as Litvinenko in a separate series.
Written by David Scarpa, the newly announced HBO drama will be titled Londongrad, and will tell the story of the former KBG officer’s death from polonium poisoning in 2006.
Cumberbatch, who’s best known internationally for the BBC’s Sherlock and for playing Doctor Strange in the Marvel film franchise, will executive produce alongside Scarpa.
The ITV drama series, Litvinenko, will follow Scotland Yard Officers over the course of a decade as they attempt to prove who was responsible for the death of the former Russian Federal Security Services officer.
That series, written by Lupin‘s George Kay and announced in September, will also look at Alexander’s widow Marina (played by The Deuce’s Margarita Levieva), who “fought tirelessly to persuade the British Government to publicly name her husband’s killers and acknowledge the role of the Russian State in his murder”.
In a statement last month, writer Kay said: “In late 2006, Alexander Litvinenko was a living witness to his own murder. He spent his dying days entrusting the Metropolitan Police with the details of what happened to him.
“It took those police and his remarkable widow Marina Litvinenko a decade to have those claims ratified. Their stamina, hard work and bravery are what make this not only an essential story of our times but a privilege to be asked to write.”
Also starring in the ITV series are Catastrophe’s Mark Bonnar and Small Axe’s Neil Maskell, who will play Scotland Yard officers Clive Timmons and Brent Hyatt respectively.
Take a look at our other Drama coverage, or check out our TV Guide to find out what’s on TV tonight.