Gere & McCrory to star in MotherFatherSon

Richard Gere (Chicago, Pretty Woman), Helen McCrory (Peaky Blinders, Harry Potter) and Billy Howle will star in MotherFatherSon, a new eight-part drama series from bestselling author and screenwriter Tom Rob Smith (Child 44, The Farm, London Spy, The Assassination of Gianni Versace).

MotherFatherSon is a political and psychological thriller that sits at the intersections of police, politics and the press – as much a family saga as it is a savage, unflinching study of power and how even the mightiest of empires can be in peril when a family turns on each other.

Richard Gere will play Max, a charismatic self-made American businessman with media outlets in London and around the world. Helen McCrory will play Kathryn, a British heiress who has been estranged from Max following the breakdown of their marriage some years before. Their 30-year-old son, Caden (Billy Howle), runs Max’s UK newspaper and is primed to follow in his father’s footsteps as one of the most powerful men in the world. But when Caden’s self-destructive lifestyle spirals out of control, the devastating consequences threaten the future of the family, its empire, and a country on the brink of change.

The trio will be joined by Sarah Lancashire (Kiri, Happy Valley, Last Tango In Halifax) as Angela Howard, a brilliant businesswoman turned MP and Leader of the Opposition. Sinéad Cusack (Call The Midwife, Marcella) and Paul Ready (Motherland, The Terror) will play Maggie and Nick, two renegade journalists from the London-based newspaper which Max owns. Pippa Bennett-Warner (Harlots, Sick Note) has been cast as Lauren, a senior executive with the company and trusted adviser to Max.

Danny Sapani (Black Panther, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) will play Jahan Zakari, the first ever Muslim Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with Joseph Mawle (Game Of Thrones, Troy: Fall Of A City) as Scott, an enigmatic and damaged figure who Helen McCrory’s character Kathryn becomes entangled with.

Tom Rob Smith said, ‘Telling this story was always going to depend upon gathering an extraordinary cast. Richard Gere has starred in some of the most famous movies of all time. His roles are iconic and complex. He’s joined by the remarkable Helen McCrory, showcasing heartbreaking emotional tenderness and immense power. And completing the central family is Billy Howle, one of the most exciting young actors I’ve ever had the privilege of watching perform. Under the brilliant direction of James Kent, the show promises to be something special for the BBC.’

Patrick Holland, BBC Two Channel Editor, added, ‘I was a huge fan of London Spy and am absolutely delighted that Tom Rob Smith is writing his next major drama for BBC Two. BBC Two is a channel where the best creative voices can produce their most original work and MotherFatherSon promises to be an exceptional series from an exceptional writer.’

Hilary Salmon, Executive Producer, commented, ‘We are excited to be working with Tom to make this ambitious and timely political thriller with an emotionally enthralling family at its heart. Tom is an exceptional and original author and we are confident that we can produce something special together.’

MotherFatherSon is an eight-part series set in London and produced by BBC Studios for BBC Two. Award-winning producer Alan Poul (Newsroom, Six Feet Under) is attached to produce and the series will be executive produced by writer Tom Rob Smith, Hilary Salmon for BBC Studios and Stephen Wright for BBC Two. It will shoot next year primarily in London and transmit on BBC Two in 2018.