Dominic West and Sienna Miller to star in Sky and HBO thriller WAR
Entertainment News: Sky and HBO have unveiled WAR, a high-stakes legal thriller from George Kay, creator of Lupin and Hijack.
Sky and HBO have unveiled WAR, a high-stakes legal thriller from George Kay, creator of Lupin and Hijack. Dominic West (The Wire, The Crown) takes on the role of tech mogul Morgan Henderson, opposite Sienna Miller (Anatomy of a Scandal, American Sniper) as his estranged wife, international movie star Carla Duval. Set against the backdrop of London’s elite legal scene, the series launches with a scandalous divorce case that reverberates through courtrooms, bedrooms, and boardrooms. Following a deal brokered by Sky, WAR has already been commissioned for two seasons.
From Golden Globe–nominated, Emmy- and BAFTA-winning writer and showrunner George Kay (Hijack, Lupin, The Long Shadow), and directed by Ben Taylor (Sex Education, Catastrophe), the drama is produced by New Pictures (Catherine the Great, The Long Shadow) alongside Kay’s Observatory Pictures, in partnership with Sky and HBO.
WAR follows the battle between two powerhouse London firms — Cathcarts and Taylor & Byrne — as they clash in the divorce trial of the decade. Both are convinced they’ll come out on top, but as the fight escalates, alliances fracture, reputations hang in the balance, and everyone is willing to play dirty to win. Season one’s explosive case is just the beginning, serving as the first chapter in an anthology of headline-grabbing legal showdowns.
The cast also includes Phoebe Fox (The Great, Task) as Serena Byrne and James McArdle (Mare of Easttown, Playing Nice) as Nicholas Taylor, life and business partners at Taylor & Byrne. At rival firm Cathcarts, Nina Sosanya (Baby Reindeer, Screw) stars as Beatrice “Queen Bea” Ubosi, while Pip Torrens (Succession, The Crown) plays St John Smallwood. Archie Renaux (Alien: Romulus, Upgraded) joins as ambitious young lawyer Jonathan “Johnny” Warren.
George Kay, creator and writer, said:
“I am excited to be working with Sky and HBO - two homes for bold, ambitious storytelling - and our brilliant production team. WAR is a legal drama full of double crossing, scandal, twists and betrayal. The kind of TV show that made me want to write TV shows.”
Willow Grylls, Executive Producer and CEO of New Pictures, said:
“George Kay has created an incredibly compelling cast of characters who will have audiences rooting for them, despite the underhand tactics, dirty tricks and win at all cost mentality they bring to battle against each other in - and out - of court. We are incredibly pleased to be trusted by Sky and HBO with a two series order to bring their stories to viewers around the world.”
Meghan Lyvers, Executive Director of Original Scripted, Sky, said:
“We are thrilled to be working with George, Ben, Willow and team on WAR. The show is ambitious and provocative, brimming with unforgettable characters. It challenges the notions of power, identity, and success. We are proud to partner with New Pictures, Observatory Pictures and HBO on this distinctly modern drama."
Francesca Orsi, EVP, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, said:
“We’ve long admired George Kay’s exceptional work and it’s a privilege to bring him and his team to HBO for this wild and wicked examination of the brutal battlefield that is divorce. An inspired fusion of realism and satire, viewers are in store for gripping storytelling at its very best."
George Kay also serves as co-creator, writer, and executive producer of Apple TV+’s Emmy-nominated Hijack. He is the creator of Netflix’s Lupin, winner of a Critics Choice Award and nominated for Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards. His credits further include the BAFTA-winning The Long Shadow, Litvinenko (ITVX), and the International Emmy-nominated Criminal (Netflix).
WAR is produced by New Pictures (an All3Media company) and Observatory Pictures, in association with Sky and HBO. Alongside Kay, the executive producers include Willow Grylls (Des, The Missing), Matt Sandford (The Long Shadow), Ben Taylor, Susan Breen (The Woman in the Wall, Bad Sisters), Andrea Dewsbury (I Hate Suzie, The Spanish Princess), and Megan Spanjian for Sky.
The series will premiere on Sky and NOW in the UK, Ireland, and Italy; Sky and WOW in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria; HBO and Max in the US; and Max in Australia. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution will oversee international sales.
Words: Simon Baines