Babou Ceesay, Rory Kinnear join Sky thriller

Further casting has been confirmed for Sky Atlantic / Showtime’s six-part drama, Guerrilla. 

Created, written and directed by John Ridley (American Crime, 12 Years a Slave), Guerrilla centres on two politically active lovers, Marcus (Babou Ceesay – Eye In The Sky) and Jas (Freida Pinto – Slumdog Millionaire). Both political activists, they quickly transform into hardened militants at war with a Special Branch unit dedicated to crushing all forms of black activism.

Idris Elba (Luther) also co-stars and will serve as an executive producer through his Green Door Pictures.
Joining Ceesay in the new cast announced is, Olivier Award winner Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful) and Daniel Mays (Line of Duty) as Pence and Cullen respectively – coppers assigned to a secret Special Branch unit that targets black activists on the streets of 1970s London.

Zawe Ashton (Not Safe for Work) plays the part of Omega,  who views herself as a leader within the black community; Denise Gough (People, Places & Things) plays the tough and fiery Fallon; Nathaniel Martello-White (Misfits) is Dhari, an astute and charismatic radical with Nicholas Pinnock (Fortitude) as Julian, a calm, cool character; Brandon Scott (Grey’s Anatomy) takes on the character of Leroy, a rough-customer who is dedicated to the movement but also has his own policies.

Guerrilla is a love story set against the backdrop of one of the most politically explosive times in U.K. history. It tells the story of a couple whose relationship and values are tested when they liberate a political prisoner and form a radical underground cell in 1970s London.  Their ultimate target becomes the Black Power Desk, a true-life, secretive counter-intelligence unit within Special Branch dedicated to crushing all forms of black activism.  Whilst the series is set against a background of social and political activism, at its heart Guerrilla is about a relationship under pressure, and the reality that for any couple there comes a point when the choices they make have real and lasting consequences.

John Ridley said: “I have wanted to tell this story for many years and I feel a great sense of responsibility towards the people and era that we are portraying.  We have been given a rare opportunity to explore the kind of narrative that we do not usually see on television, and with the kinds of artisans who are not typically represented.  I am extremely grateful and inspired by the brilliant and dedicated actors who have recently joined our team.”

Guerrilla is a co-production between Fifty Fathoms and ABC Signature, with Ridley and Sam Miller (Luther, Fortitude) directing.

Guerrilla begins filming this week (August 2016) in and around London for transmission on Sky Atlantic in the UK and Showtime in the US in 2017.