LONDON -- U.K. paybox BSkyB is taking a leaf out of HBO's book when it comes to pricey original drama with an adaptation of blockbuster "Strike Back," set against the backdrop of a Middle East hostage crisis.
The six-part skein, to be distributed by BBC Worldwide, is based on the eponymous novel written by ex-British Special Forces soldier Chris Ryan.
It will be produced by Left Bank Pictures, the shingle founded by Andy Harries in which BBC Worldwide holds an equity stake.
Exec producers are Harries and Sky1HD drama head Elaine Pyke.
The opening episodes, set in Iraq, are written by scribe Jed Mercurio and directed by Daniel Percival, who made BBC conspiracy thriller "The State Within."
Among the cast are Richard Armitage, whose credits include BBC series "Robin Hood," and Andrew Lincoln, who starred in the iconic BBC show "This Life," about a group of twentysomething legal eagles. Jodhi May, Orla Brady, Nicola Stephenson and Laura Greenwood will also be featured.
The story of deception, redemption and revenge is the latest film backed by Sky1, BSkyB's flagship entertainment web, in an initiative that has been compared to HBO's policy of making heavily marketed, high-quality drama to drive its subscription base. "Strike Back" is being shot in South Africa and will bow on Sky1 next spring.
Contact the Variety newsroom at
news@variety.com