Stanley Tucci, Michael Gambon, Christopher Eccleston & Sofie Gråbøl for murder-mystery drama

Sky Atlantic has announced an all-star cast for new 12-part drama, Fortitude, created and written by Simon Donald (Low Winter Sun).

The ambitious drama, which centres on a mysterious death in the Arctic Circle will star; Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones, The Hunger Games), Michael Gambon (Harry Potter, The King’s Speech), Christopher Eccleston (Thor: The Dark World, Lucan), Sofie Gråbøl (The Killing), Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones), Jessica Raine (Call The Midwife), Luke Treadaway (Clash of the Titans), Nicholas Pinnock (Top Boy) and Johnny Harris (This is England).

Fortitude is a place like nowhere else.  Although surrounded by the savage beauty of the Arctic landscape, Fortitude is one of the safest towns on earth. There has never been a violent crime here. Until now. In such a close-knit community a murder touches everyone and the unsettling, mysterious horror of this crime threatens the future of the town itself.

The local Chief of Police, Sheriff Dan Anderssen (Dormer), has to investigate alongside DCI Morton (Tucci), the detective who has flown into Fortitude so fast that questions are being asked about how much he knew, and when.  As these two cops try to make sense of the killing, each finds compelling reasons to mistrust and suspect the other.

The murder is a catastrophe for Hildur Odegard (Gråbøl), the town’s Governor. It threatens her ambitious plans to transform Fortitude from a mining town into a site for high-end tourism. And for Henry Tyson (Gambon), a wildlife photographer who only has weeks left to live, the murder is the catalyst to unearthing Fortitude’s darkest secret.

Also key to the story are Charlie Stoddart (Eccleston), an English scientist who heads up the Arctic Biology department at the Fortitude Arctic Research Centre, talented young scientist Vincent Rattrey (Treadaway), the newest member of Burke’s team, and Jules Sutter (Raine), who is married to Frank Sutter (Pinnock), Fortitude’s chief search and rescue pilot.

As the cold Arctic darkness gives way to endless summer nights, this apparently idyllic community struggles to make sense of the murderous horror that has been let loose in its heart.

Stuart Murphy, Director, Sky Entertainment Channels, said: “Set against the beauty of the Arctic landscape, it tells the story of an apparently idyllic community coming to terms with a murder at its heart. This will be cinematic drama on a grand scale with a cast of truly great actors.”

Tiger Aspect Productions Limited under its Fifty Fathoms Label will produce with Sky Atlantic.  Executive Producers for Fifty Fathoms/Tiger Aspect are Patrick Spence, Simon Donald, Andrew Woodhead and Frith Tiplady.  For Sky Atlantic, executive producers are Anne Mensah and Cameron Roach. Series Producer is Matthew Bird, lead director Sam Miller and production designer Gemma Jackson.

Fortitude begins filming on location in Iceland and the UK in early 2014 and will transmit on Sky Atlantic in late 2014.