The Chernobyl disaster took place in April 1986, when a nuclear power plant exploded on a catastrophic scale. The drama will explore why and how it happened, as well as the people who risked their own lives to save others.

Jared Harris (The Crown, Mad Men) will play Valery Legasov, the Soviet scientist chosen by the Kremlin to investigate the accident.

The five-part series will be written by Craig Mazin (The Huntsman: Winter’s War) and directed by Johan Renck (Breaking Bad).The project marks the first co-production between HBO and Sky Television as part of the $250 million multi-year deal for high-end drama which was announced earlier this year.

Gary Davey, managing director for content at Sky said: “In Chernobyl, Craig Mazin has achieved something unique - his script is second to none, effortlessly combining the visceral, the tragic and the heroic perspectives behind this devastating event. The scale of the production makes it a perfect first project for our co-production partnership with HBO, encapsulating our ambition to develop high-end drama with international viewpoints and casting. We look forward to working closely with HBO to bring this important story to Sky Atlantic viewers.”

Kary Antholis, President at HBO miniseries and CINEMAX programming, said: “From the moment Craig Mazin pitched us the story, we were convinced that this all-too-true tale of horror and redemption needed to be told. It will engage – and enrage – our viewers, as well as audiences around the world.” 

Chernobyl will begin filming in Lithuania in Spring 2018.