A new six-part spy drama The Ipcress File is coming to ITV in March 2022.
The series is based on the Len Deighton spy novel The Ipcress File - which is the first in the Harry Palmer series - and has been adapted for the screen by BAFTA award winning writer John Hodge.
Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole will be taking on the leading role of the iconic spy, which has previously been portrayed by British film icon, Sir Michael Caine, in the 1965 film of the same name.
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ITV have said the spy series - which is set in the 1960s amidst the Cold War - will be a "cinematic rollercoaster of twists and turns".
You can view a clip of the first episode above which shows British intelligence officer, Major Dalby played by Tom Hollander interviewing British army sergeant Harry Palmer.
Here are all the details on the thriller's release date, who will star in the series and where it was filmed:
When is The Ipcress File on ITV?
The Ipcress File will start on Sunday, March 6 at 9pm on ITV and ITV Hub.
There are six episodes, all of which will be available to watch on ITV Hub and BritBox after the end of the first episode.
The series will continue to air weekly on Sunday nights from 9pm until April.
The synopsis from ITV reads: "Wholesaler, retailer, fixer, smuggler, Harry’s varied interests bring him into contact with everything and everyone – until the law catches up with him and it all comes crashing to a halt. Harry finds himself sentenced to eight years in a grim military jail in England, all his prospects abruptly torn away.
"But his impressive network and efficiency have not gone unnoticed, and a gentleman from British intelligence has a proposal. To avoid prison, Harry Palmer will become a spy. And the case on which he cuts his teeth will be The Ipcress File."
The Ipcress File cast:
Here's the star-studded cast line-up for the ITV series:
- Joe Cole (Gangs of London, Peaky Blinders), as the iconic spy Harry Palmer
- Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody, Murder on the Orient Express) will star as Jean Courtney
- Tom Hollander (The Night Manager, Bird Box) as British Intelligence Officer William Dalby
- Ashley Thomas (Them, Top Boy, Salvation) as CIA agent Paul Maddox
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Dublin Murders, Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War) as General Cathcart
Joshua James (Industry, Life, Absentia) as Chico
David Dencik (McMafia, No Time to Die, Chernobyl) will star as Colonel Stok
Paul Higgins (Line of Duty, Utopia) as Minister
Where was The Ipcress File filmed?
Filming for the spy series started in February 2021 and took place across three locations; Liverpool, Cheshire and Croatia.
When asked about the locations for the sets, actor Tom Hollander said: "Filming The Ipcress File was like being in a time machine. Which is true for any period drama. Except this was in the middle of the pandemic and so the fictional world was so much more alive than the real world.
"We were filming in a deserted Liverpool, which doubles for London. A Liverpool which I hardly know but I can see is the most vibrant, lively city. Liverpool is all about people and the energy on the streets. But there was no one on the streets because of the lockdown."
Joe Cole spoke of travelling to Croatia to film scenes, he said: "Shooting in Croatia felt special. It will give an international flavour to the show and the visuals when people see it, because there’s so much different architecture that we managed to capture. Croatia doubled for locations like Helsinki, Beirut and the Pacific. It gives it a whole different flavour and also the weather was important in terms of sunny countries and so on."
The Ipcress File starts on Sunday, March 6 from 9pm on ITV and ITV Hub.
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