Idris Elba takes on 1970s civil rights in new UK-set drama

Luther and Beasts of no Nation star Idris Elba is all set to star in Showtime’s 1970s civil rights romance drama Guerrilla.

Billed as a love story, the limited-part series by John Ridley is set against the backdrop of one of the most politically explosive times in UK history.

Watch a trailer for the Luther special from last year here

It tells the story of a politically active couple whose relationship and values are tested when they liberate a political prisoner and form a radical underground cell in 1970s London, reported the Wrap.

Along with Ridley and Elba, the executive producers will be Patrick Spence and Katie Swinden for Fifty Fathoms, Tracy Underwood for ABC Signature and Michael McDonald for Stearns Castle.

Read: Matthew McConaughey, Idris Elba to star in King’s The Dark Tower

Ridley, best known for 12 Years A Slave and the recent drama show American Crime, will write most of the episodes and direct the first two.

Watch the trailer for John Ridley’s American Crime here

“It’s been a long time desire of mine to collaborate with Mr Ridley and his work here is nothing short of a masterclass in character building and story-telling. TV is in for a treat,” Elba said.

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