Dominic West And Sienna Miller To Star In HBO And Sky Original Thriller WAR, Two Season Order Confirmed
Created By George Kay (“Lupin,” “Hijack”), And Produced By New Pictures, WAR Is A New Scandal-Soaked Legal Thriller Set In The Elite World Of London Law
Two rival London law firms take on the case of the century. In a world of love, scandal, betrayal and ambition, winning is everything. This is WAR.
HBO and Sky today announce WAR, a bold new legal thriller from the creator of Lupin and Hijack, starring Dominic West (HBO’s “The Wire,” “The Crown”) as tech titan Morgan Henderson and Sienna Miller (“Anatomy of a Scandal,” “American Sniper”) as his estranged wife, international film star Carla Duval. Set in the elite world of London law, the series has been greenlit with a two-season commitment from HBO and Sky, following a deal brokered by Sky. It debuts with a scandalous divorce case that sends shockwaves through boardrooms, bedrooms, and courtrooms alike.
Created by Golden Globe nominated and Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning creator and showrunner George Kay (“Hijack,” “Lupin,” “The Long Shadow”) and directed by Ben Taylor (“Sex Education,” “Catastrophe”), WAR is coproduced by New Pictures (“Catherine the Great,” “The Long Shadow”) and Kay’s Observatory Pictures, in association with HBO and Sky.
WAR follows two of London’s most prestigious rival firms – Cathcarts and Taylor & Byrne – as they go head-to-head in the divorce case of the century. Each side is certain they’ll win. But as the case spirals and loyalties fracture, reputations are on the line, and everyone’s playing to win. This is just the beginning - season one’s explosive case is the first in an anthology of headline-making legal battles.
Also joining the cast are, Phoebe Fox (“The Great,” HBO’s “Task”) as Serena Byrne and James McArdle (“Playing Nice,” HBO’s “Mare of Easttown”) as Nicholas Taylor, partners in life and business at Taylor & Byrne; Nina Sosanya (“Screw,” “Baby Reindeer”) as “Her Majesty” Beatrice “Queen Bea” Ubosi, and Pip Torrens (HBO’s “Succession,” “The Crown”) as St John Smallwood, their counterparts and fierce rivals at Cathcarts; and Archie Reneaux (“Alien: Romulus,” “Upgraded”) as ambitious lawyer Jonathan “Johnny” Warren.
George Kay, creator and writer, said: “I am excited to be working with Sky and HBO - two homes for bold, ambitious storytelling - and our brilliant production team. WAR is a legal drama full of double crossing, scandal, twists and betrayal. The kind of TV show that made me want to write TV shows.”
Willow Grylls, Executive Producer and CEO of New Pictures, said: “George Kay has created an incredibly compelling cast of characters who will have audiences rooting for them, despite the underhand tactics, dirty tricks and win at all cost mentality they bring to battle against each other in - and out - of court. We are incredibly pleased to be trusted by Sky and HBO with a two series order to bring their stories to viewers around the world.”
Meghan Lyvers, Executive Director of Original Scripted, Sky, said: “We are thrilled to be working with George, Ben, Willow and team on WAR. The show is ambitious and provocative, brimming with unforgettable characters. It challenges the notions of power, identity, and success. We are proud to partner with New Pictures, Observatory Pictures and HBO on this distinctly modern drama. "
Francesca Orsi, EVP, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, said: “We’ve long admired George Kay’s exceptional work and it’s a privilege to bring him and his team to HBO for this wild and wicked examination of the brutal battlefield that is divorce. An inspired fusion of realism and satire, viewers are in store for gripping storytelling at its very best."
George Kay is the co-creator, writer, and executive producer of the Emmy Award nominated Apple TV+ returning series “Hijack.” He also created and wrote the Golden Globe and BAFTA-nominated and Critics Choice award winner “Lupin,” for Netflix. His other work includes BAFTA-winning series “The Long Shadow” and “Litvinenko,” which both aired on ITVX, and the International Emmy nominated Netflix show “Criminal.”
WAR is coproduced by New Pictures (an All3Media company) and Observatory Pictures, in association with HBO and Sky. The series is created, written and executive produced by George Kay, alongside Golden Globe and BAFTA Award-nominated executive producer Willow Grylls (“Des,” “The Missing”) and BAFTA Award-nominated executive producer Matt Sandford (“The Long Shadow”) for New Pictures, Ben Taylor (“Sex Education,” “Catastrophe”), Susan Breen (“The Woman in the Wall,” “Bad Sisters”), Andrea Dewsbury, and Megan Spanjian for Sky.
WAR will debut on HBO and HBO Max in the US, and stream on HBO Max in Australia. It will air on Sky and streaming services NOW/WOW in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. International sales of the series will be handled by NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution.
About New Pictures
New Pictures produces bold, original and entertaining television drama for leading streamers and broadcasters in the UK and around the world. Our critically acclaimed productions have won multiple major awards including Golden Globes, Emmys, Baftas and RTS amongst many others. Working in partnership with ambitious, authentic and diverse storytellers and actors is at the heart of everything we do. Our credits encompass a broad slate of adaptations and originals such as The Long Shadow (ITV/Sundance), No Escape (Paramount+), Champion (BBC/Netflix), Protection (ITV), Crongton (BBC), COBRA (Sky One), Des (ITV/Sundance), Catherine the Great (Sky/HBO), The Missing (BBC, Starz), and long-running hit Dalgleish (Channel 5, Acorn). New Pictures is an All3Media company.
About Sky
Sky Studios is the home of Sky Original Scripted and Unscripted content. We develop, commission and produce unmissable programming for Sky’s customers across Europe.
Our teams partner with the best indies and talent globally, to drive creative excellence and tell original stories that are loved by audiences the world over.
Our Sky Originals include BAFTA-winning comedy, Brassic, Emmy-nominated hit, Gangs of London, Mary & George, starring Julianne Moore, The Day of the Jackal, with Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch, Sweetpea, starring Ella Purnell, LEE, starring Kate Winslet, Mussolini: Son of the Century, directed by Joe Wright, and Lockerbie: A Search for Truth starring Colin Firth and Catherine McCormack.
We also operate Sky Studios Elstree, a new, state-of-the-art film and TV studio with 12 sound stages, representing a significant investment in the UK and European creative economy.
Alongside Sky Original Scripted, Sky Studios is home to some of the most successful factual production companies including Blast! Films, True North and Love Productions.
In 2022, Sky Studios ramped up the original content drive by launching an in-house factual unit with capability to develop, produce, co-produce, fully finance and distribute films and series through the partnership with NBCUniversal Global Distribution. In 2024 they unveiled their first feature doc Klitschko: More than a Fight, directed by Kevin MacDonald, as the Opening Film of Sheffield Doc/Fest 2024.
About HBO
HBO® is one of the most respected and innovative entertainment brands in the world, serving iconic, award-winning programming through the HBO linear channels and the direct-to-consumer streaming platform, HBO Max, which is available globally in 65 countries. A part of Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO offers an extensive array of programming that includes recent fan-favorite hits like “House of the Dragon,” “The Last of Us,” “The White Lotus,” “Succession,” and “Euphoria,” and iconic titles, including “Game of Thrones,” “The Sopranos,” “Sex and the City,” “Band of Brothers” and “The Wire.”