Lily Allen's little bro Alfie Allen of Game of Thrones fame is set for a brand new BBC2 series alongside One Day's Jim Sturgess called Close to the Enemy. The six-part series will be set in the backdrop of the emerging Cold War and is penned by Dancing on the Edge and The Lost Prince writer and director Stephen Poliakoff.
Sturgess, who has also been in the likes of 21, Across the Universe and Cloud Atlas, will play the lead as intelligence officer Captain Callum Ferguson, who is tasked with persuading a captured German scientist (played by Inglourious Basterds’ August Diehl) to share his secrets on how the jet engine is made.
Alfie Allen, who plays Theon Greyjoy (or Reek) in Game of Thrones will also star in the series alongside Charlie and the Chocolate Factory star Freddie Highmore, Peaky Blinders' Charlotte Riley, American Horror Story's Angela Basset and Chocolat's Alfred Molina.
Ben Stephenson, the BBC’s outgoing controller of drama commissioning, said of the new series: "With Stephen’s usual flair and attention to detail, Close to the Enemy is a hugely compelling drama which shines a light on a fascinating piece of British history."
While producer Helen Flint said; "Close to the Enemy is set in the transitional period of 1946 - the brutal Second World War is finally over but the destruction of families and cities permeates everyone's lives.
"As the Cold War takes its hold in Europe and the public realisation that the Atom Bomb could be used by any Government; our hero Callum (Jim Sturgess) passionately believes that to safeguard the future you mustn't heed the past regardless of how terrible it has been.
"However as the story unfolds he finds that he is compelled to look backwards and eventually realises that you have to judge (for good or ill) those voluntarily or involuntarily involved in order to actually have a safer world."
Filming of the series has already commenced but no word yet on when it will be aired.
