David Tennant will play Alexander Litvinenko in new ITV drama Litvinenko.
Written by George Kay, the four-part drama will explore the death of former Russian Federal Security Services and KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko, who was found dead from polonium poisoning in November 2006.
The murder led to one of the most dangerous and testing investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police.
The drama highlights the painstaking work of the Scotland Yard officers who dedicated ten years of their lives to discover who was responsible.
Margarita Levieva plays Marina, Litvinenko’s fearless widow who fought tirelessly to persuade the British government to publicly name her husband’s killer and reveal the Russian State’s involvement in his murder.
Litvinenko gave the police meticulous details from his hospital bed about the events that led up to his poisoning, which helped detectives identify and track down two Russians who had poisoned Litvinenko.
The series is produced with the support of Litvinenko’s family and the officers involved in the investigation, with Mark Bonnar playing officer Clive Timmons and Neil Maskell playing officer Brent Hyatt.
George Kay commented: “In late 2006, Alexander Litvinenko was a living witness to his own murder. He spent his dying days entrusting the Metropolitan Police with the details of what happened to him.
“It took those police and his remarkable widow Marina Litvinenko a decade to have those claims ratified. Their stamina, hard work and bravery are what make this not only an essential story of our times but a privilege to be asked to write.”