James Nesbitt is set to star in a new crime drama set in Northern Ireland.
The Cold Feet actor will work in his native country for the BBC show Bloodlands and has praised the progress of the region’s media industry.
He stars as detective Tom Brannick in the upcoming drama, which has been produced by HTM Television, the company of thriller specialist Jed Mercurio.
Nesbitt said: “It’s great to be back making a drama in and about Northern Ireland, which now has a film and television industry as good as any in the world.
“We have compelling scripts from a brilliant young writer who was raised in County Down, which are very exciting and psychologically complex. I can’t wait to start.”
The new drama is penned by writer Chris Brandon and follows a cat-and-mouse chase between the authorities and an infamous assassin.
Mercurio, who is executive producer on the show, said: “It’s been incredibly rewarding to discover Chris Brandon’s work and to witness the development of an outstanding new voice in contemporary television thriller writing, added to which everyone at HTM Television is honoured an actor of James Nesbitt’s brilliance will star in our debut production.”
Bloodlands seeks to shed light on the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and filming will take place around Belfast and Strangford Lough.
Further casting will be announced in due course by the BBC.