David Tennant to play Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen who killed 15 men in 5 years

Actor David Tennant has been roped in to star as infamous Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in an ITV drama. Titled Des, the three-part miniseries, is based on the Brian Masters book Killing For Company, reported Deadline.

Masters cooperated with Nilsen to get inside the mind of a man who murdered at least 15 men and boys between 1978 and 1983. Nilsen died in jail last year. Jason Watkins of The Crown fame will play Masters and Line Of Duty actor Daniel Mays will feature as Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay.

The story chronicles Nilsen’s arrest and trial, through the prism of the three men. Des was developed by Luke Neal and Lewis Arnold.

Ron Cook, Faye McKeever, Chanel Cresswell, Barry Ward, Tony Way, Bronagh Waugh, Laurie Kynaston, Ross Anderson, among others are part of the ensemble cast.

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Nilsen was a former soldier and policeman. He murdered men in his North London homes over five years. He was caught when Jay arrived at Muswell Hill to investigate human remains clogging the drains. Their victims were strangulated before their bodies were chopped and flushed down the toilet.

Nilsen was convicted of six counts of murder and two of attempted murder in 1983 and given a life sentence. He died last year, aged 72.

David Tennant is best known as the 10th Doctor of hit British sci-fi show, Doctor Who. He also starred in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Broadchurch and more recently, in Amazon Prime’s Good Omens.

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