Another day, another high-octane spy thriller in which our protagonist sprints through the grey cityscapes of London while city workers carry on about their day as usual, oblivious. This time it’ll come in the shape of The Veil, a new six-part miniseries landing on screens in April.
The Veil is no ordinary spy thriller, however. This one’s from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight – who’s also working on – deep breath – a new Peaky Blinders movie, and a series about the Guinness dynasty and the upcoming Star Wars: The New Jedi Order and BBC ska series This Town. In other words, he’s the busiest writer in showbiz right now – we don't know how he does it. Maybe he has a real life Bernard's watch?
The Veil will also star Elisabeth Moss, who is no stranger to playing smart, dark and complex characters in award-winning, prestige films and TV shows – if Moss is in it, you know it's going to be good. This time, she'll have a British accent and also speak French. It's an international spy caper!
Here's everything else we know about The Veil so far.
What is The Veil about?
While details are relatively thin on the ground, it sort of sounds like a much tenser and more serious Killing Eve-type situation, with two women playing a classic game of cat-and-mouse. Moss will appear as Imogen Salter, an experienced MI6 agent “used in very high level situations” but who's also “known to be erratic and unpredictable” (relatable).
Starring opposite her is Yumna Marwan (Little Birds, Heaven Sent) as Adilah El Idrissi, a woman believed to be an ISIS commander. Meanwhile Josh Charles (Masters of Sex, Law and Order) will show up as Max, a CIA officer assigned to work as Salter's American liaison. Elsewhere on the cast are the likes of Alec Secareanu (God's Own Country), James Purefoy (Altered Carbon) and Aron von Andrian (House of the Dragon).
Keira Knightley stars in this upcoming Netflix thriller, marking her first substantial TV role in years
Here's what the official logline says: “FX’s The Veil explores the surprising and fraught relationship between two women who play a deadly game of truth and lies on the road from Istanbul to Paris and London. One woman has a secret, the other a mission to reveal it before thousands of lives are lost. In the shadows, mission controllers at the CIA and French DGSE must put differences aside and work together to avert potential disaster.”
Is there a trailer for The Veil?
Yes and it looks incredible: glossy, fast-paced, Moss running through various different locations looking powerful with a gun. “I can change into anything,” she says, in an old fashioned-sounding, marginally camp British accent. “Become a hundred strangers.” Maybe that's what she'll say when she picks up her next award.
When is The Veil out?
Those across the pond in the US will be able to watch the first two episodes of The Veil on Hulu on 30 April. A UK release date is yet to be announced, but should hopefully come through not long afterwards.
