Stephen Fry and Douglas Henshall star in new two-hour ITV drama Doors Open, based on the best-selling book by one of the UK’s most prolific and successful writers, Ian Rankin.

A self-made millionaire, an art professor and a banker come together to undertake an audacious art heist in Doors Open, a fast paced, warm and witty drama set in the underbelly of Edinburgh’s world of corporate banking and fine art.

The story follows Mike Mackenzie, played by Dougie Henshall (Collision, Primeval), a self-made businessman with too much time on his hands. Bored by the comfort of his millions and grieving for the woman who walked out on him five years previously. When he hears the love of his life, Laura Stanton, art consultant and auctioneer, has returned to Edinburgh, his whole world is turned upside down and he’d risk anything to get her back; including dreaming up a plot to rip-off one of the most high-profile targets in the country – Edinburgh’s private art collection owned by a national bank, with his two close friends art expert Professor Gissing played by Stephen Fry (Kingdom, The Hobbit); and banker Allan Cruickshank.

Mike enlists the help of Charlie Calloway, old school friend and small time gangster, to beef up their criminal know-how, but Charlie’s involvement comes at a price:  he brings the unwelcome attention of some less-than-friendly outlandish gangsters. By the time the gallery warehouse doors are flung open to the public, there’s no going back.

Stephen Fry said: “I picked up Ian Rankin’s breathless and ingenious thriller Doors Open at an airport a year or so back and as I read I just knew it would make a thrilling, charming and original TV drama. I also adored the character of Professor Gissing and a shamefully vain part of me refused to see anyone else in the role. I am so thrilled that ITV were of the same opinion and that all of us at Sprout Pictures have managed to put together what I believe will be an entertaining, suspenseful art heist thriller which will appeal to audiences at home and abroad.”

Laura Mackie, Director of Drama at ITV says: “Doors Open is full of excitement with many twists and turns and it is as much of a love story as an art heist. We have an A list cast lined up to bring Ian Rankin’s great characters to life.”

Doors Open has been adapted from Ian Rankin’s novel by James Mavor and Sandi Toksvig. Marc Evans (Collision, Hunky Dory) is directing, Jon Finn (Billy Elliot) is producing and Executive Producers are Sprout Pictures’ Managing Director Gina Carter, Stephen Fry and Sandi Toksvig.

Filming on Doors Open begins in Edinburgh on 23 April for five weeks.