Rising British actress Hayley Atwell is to head up the cast of a new ITV urban crime drama which will begin shooting in Dublin this Monday (November 5).
Production on ‘Life of Crime’ will get underway in various locations around the city next week before the shoot moves to London.
The series will see Atwell (The Sweeney) play risk-taking and impulsive rookie policewoman Denise Woods, who becomes obsessed with tracking down the killer of a 15 year-old girl called Anna.
Principal photography will last six weeks in total with Jim Loach (Oranges & Sunshine) directing three one-hour episodes written by leading Irish crime writer Declan Croghan (Waking the Dead).
Wicklow-based Octagon Films are the Irish producers on the ITV commission, alongside London’s Ecosse Films.
James Flynn will produce for Octagon alongside Emma Kingsman-Lloyd (DCI Banks) and executive producers Douglas Rae (Nowhere Boy) and Michael Parke (Raw) for Ecosse. Oliver Frampton will also co-produce.
Director of Photography Ruairi O’Brien (Line of Duty) is among a number of Irish crew members set to work on the project, which has been funded by ITV and BBC Worldwide. The project will also avail of Section 481.
Martin Goulding (Byzantium) is the art director; Jo Homewood (Titanic: Blood & Steel) is the line producer; Owen Magee (Trivia) is the first assistant director; Niall Martin (Titanic: Blood & Steel) is the locations manager and Leonie Prendergast (All Is By My Side) is heading up the costume design department.
Post production will be carried out at Screen Scene in Dublin with Selina MacArthur (DCI Banks)
Set against the backdrop of iconic moments in British history, ‘Life of Crime’ will explore Atwell’s character Denise’s career over three decades as she progresses through the Metropolitan Police Force and how choices she makes as a rookie officer have long lasting repercussions on both her professional and personal life.
The shoot will mark Atwell’s second in Ireland this year having completed principal photography on the Irish-shot Jimi Hendrix biopic, ‘All Is By My Side’ opposite Andre 3000 over the summer.
‘Life of Crime’ has been commissioned by ITV’s drama commissioning team, Laura Mackie, Victoria Fea and Steve November who will look after the drama for the ITV Network.
Ahead of the shoot Mackie praised Declan Croghan’s script. She said: ‘Life of Crime’ is an original and powerful thriller with a brilliant central character. Declan’s scripts vividly capture the changing face of policing over three decades and I’m so pleased that we have an actress of Hayley’s calibre in the lead role.”
