A Spy Among Friends

Secrets and Spies: Damian Lewis Undercover

On October 31, 2021November 1, 2021 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Tracking Down a Traitor

by Steve Bird | The Telegraph | October 31, 2021

Damian Lewis filming the Cold War drama limited series A Spy Among Friends CREDIT: Julian Simmonds

Budding Bond Damian Lewis stars as the MI6 officer who played cat-and-mouse with Kim Philby.

Damian Lewis’s fascination with spies has seen him play a John Le Carre secret agent and even present an entire documentary series on espionage.

But now, for the first time he has been spotted playing a real life MI6 spy in a new series about the life of Kim Philby during the height of the Cold War.

His role as Nicholas Elliott, an MI6 officer who defended Philby until his treachery became irrefutable, is ideal for Lewis who has insisted he would make a great spy, possibly better than James Bond.

Lewis, 49, was filming in London for the new Britbox series, A Spy Among Friends. Wearing Elliort’s trademark round glasses and pin-stripe suit he was on a specially converted street with 1950’s shop fronts in Pimlico.

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A Spy Among Friends Announcement In Development/ Pre-Production Print Media

Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce Lead Cold War Limited Series ‘A Spy Among Friends’

On October 6, 2021October 14, 2021 By Gingersnap Comments Off

A Ginger Biscuit Entertainment Production

by Peter White | Deadline | October 6, 2021

Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce are to lead the line of limited drama series A Spy Among Friends. Spectrum Originals and BritBox UK have ordered the adaptation of Ben Macintyre’s book to series. It comes over a year after Deadline first revealed the project, which then had Dominic West poised to star alongside Lewis.

It marks Lewis’ first gig since he exited Showtime’s Billions.

The series has started production in London this week and will also shoot in Romania. It will air in the U.S. via Spectrum’s On Demand platform and in the UK via streamer BritBox, a joint venture between the BBC and ITV, in the fall of 2022.

“I’m excited to be producing and starring in A Spy Among Friends. These fabulous scripts by Alex Cary take an up-close look at friendship – a friendship that was blinded by love, class, and membership to the right clubs, and ended in betrayal and the deaths of thousands,” said Lewis. “It’s been a fantastic creative process developing ‘Spy’ and now I can’t wait to start filming with Guy and all the other brilliant actors who’ve happily agreed to join us.”

Continue reading Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce Lead Cold War Limited Series ‘A Spy Among Friends’

A Spy Among Friends A Touch of Frost Forsyte Saga Poirot Wolf Hall

Damian Lewis on Britbox

On June 25, 2021June 26, 2021 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Forsyte Saga, Wolf Hall, Poirot, A Touch of Frost, A Spy Among Friends

by Christopher Stevens | Weekend Magazine for Daily Mail | June 25, 2021

Can Britbox really be the British Netflix? It offers classic dramas, star-studded new crime shows and landmark documentary series with a totally British-backed catalogue offering countless programmes from the vaults.

Ranked in the category of ’20 Terrific Shows On Britbox’ is Forsyte Saga and Wolf Hall starring Damian Lewis.

Britbox also offers classic crime series such as Happy Valley, Broadchurch, A Touch of Frost, Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Miss Marple, of which Damian makes two of his earliest television appearances in Poirot and A Touch of Frost: Deep End.

BritBox has a number of original dramas in the pipeline as well. There’s A Spy Among Friends, adapted from Ben Macintyre’s book and starring British titan Damian Lewis, which explores the true story of Kim Philby’s defection to the Soviet Union. A Cold War drama, the six-episode limited series showcases MI6 operative Nicholas Elliot and his friend (and KGB double agent) Philby through the lens of their complex relationship, intertwined with espionage. No word on filming or release date since CoVid pandemic.

BritBox is a subscription streaming service dedicated to the best of British programming past and present. It has a vast selection of archive shows from dramas and documentaries to comedies, soaps and films, and is now producing its own original programmes.

BritBox can be watched using smart TVs, Apple and Android devices, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast and via Amazon Prime Video channels. The regular price is £5.99 ($6.99) a month or £59.99 ($69.99) a year after a seven-day free trial. Visit britbox.co.uk here or britbox.com/us here for details.

Read the rest of the original article at Weekend Magazine for Daily Mail

A Spy Among Friends Announcement In Development/ Pre-Production

Damian Lewis Poised To Star In Cold War Limited Series – July 7, 2020

On July 7, 2020October 1, 2021 By Gingersnap Comments Off

by Jake Kanter, Peter White, Nellie Andrea | Deadline | July 7, 2020

EXCLUSIVE: Billions’ Damian Lewis is in negotiations to headline and executive produce a limited series adaptation of bestselling Cold War espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends for Spectrum Originals and UK streamer BritBox.

The six-episode A Spy Among Friends, based on Ben Macintyre’s book, comes from former Homeland executive producer Alexander Cary, Sony Pictures Television and ITV Studios. While filming has been delayed due to COVID-19, production is expected to recommence shortly, with a tentative release planned for the fall of 2021.

A Spy Among Friends follows the defection of notorious British intelligence officer and KGB double agent, Kim Philby (TBD), through the lens of his complex relationship with MI6 colleague and close friend, Nicholas Elliott (Lewis). The show examines espionage through their friendship, the fallout of which affects East-West relations to this day.

Philby was a British spy who notoriously defected to the Soviet Union in the 1950s, betraying secrets to the Russians in the early years of the Cold War. He and Elliott entered the spy game together, but as they rose through the MI6 ranks, Philby turned double agent.

The double-hander was described by the New York Times as having the tropes of an Ian Fleming or John le Carré novel. Indeed, the book itself contains an afterword from spy story master and The Night Manager author le Carré.

Continue reading Damian Lewis Poised To Star In Cold War Limited Series – July 7, 2020