Keira Knightley is set to star in Netflix series “Black Doves,” the streamer unveiled today.
Written by “Giri/Haji” showrunner Joe Barton, the drama will see Knightley star as Helen, a woman with a secret identity who embarks on a passionate affair. When her lover falls victim to London’s shadowy underworld, Helen’s employers send an old friend, Sam, to protect her. The two of them soon embark on a high octane adventure set against a backdrop of diplomatic tension and Christmas.
“‘Black Doves’ is the story of two old friends coming back together, finding trust in one another in a world where trust can get you killed and, ultimately, changing the course of each other’s lives forever,” reads the logline.
The show will be produced by Barton’s production company Noisy Bear and Sister (“Chernobyl”). Barton and Knightley will exec produce alongside Jane Featherstone and Chris Fry for Sister.
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The series was the latest in a slew of new titles announced by Netflix’s U.K. arm on Wednesday during a star-studded press event in London. Also on the slate is a new series from “The Crown” producer Left Bank Pictures titled “Department Q,” which is an adaptation of a Danish novel series of the same name by Jussi Adler-Olsen and tells the story of an Edinburgh detective on the hot pursuit of a cold case, and “Bank of Dave: The Sequel” from Tempo Productions and Future Artists, in which Dave Fishwick tries to take down payday lenders to protect some of the U.K.’s most vulnerable communities.
Earlier on Wednesday Netflix also revealed that Charlie Brooker’s long-awaited series “Black Books” would be returning to the streamer after a four-year hiatus.
The new commissions suggest Netflix has no intention of slowing down its production in the U.K., where the streamer says it has invested almost $6 billion already since 2020. Netflix says it is investing almost $1.5 billion a year in U.K.-produced content, including film and television.
“It’s no secret that the U.K. produces some of the world’s most iconic entertainment,” said Anne Mensah, Netflix’s U.K. VP for content. “This is true for Netflix, too – from ‘Top Boy’ to ‘The Crown,’ ‘Heartstopper’ to ‘The Tinder Swindler’ – our productions are some of the buzziest, most watched and zeitgeist defining in the world. We are deeply committed to the U.K.”
In a statement, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised the streamer’s U.K. production, saying: “It is hugely welcome to see Netflix significantly increase its investment in the U.K., demonstrating the sheer strength of our TV and film industry as the largest in Europe. Our world renowned British creative industries employ over two million people and are growing at twice the rate of the economy – and Netflix has been a key part of this success.”
