‘Arrow’ Star David Nykl Joins HBO Europe’s Spy Drama ‘The Sleepers’ (EXCLUSIVE)
By Stewart Clarke
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Arrow” actor David Nykl will star in “The Sleepers,” HBO Europe’s Czech spy drama, which has just gone into production. Nykl, who plays Anatoly Knyazev in The CW superhero series, will be joined by Hattie Morahan (“Beauty and the Beast”) in the HBO show.
Tatiana Pauhofová, who was in ’s Agnieszka Holland series “Burning Bush,” was already announced as a cast member of “The Sleepers,” which was previously known as “Oblivious.”
Shooting is underway in Prague, and additional filming will take place in London. The series is ostensibly set in late-1980s Prague against a backdrop of political unrest. Marie (Pauhofova) and her dissident husband, Viktor, fled Communist Czechoslovakia, but with change in the air, they return home. Viktor then disappears. Czech-Canadian actor Nykl plays a bureaucrat.
“The Sleepers” will bow on HBO Europe in late 2019. Ondrej Gabriel wrote the series. Ivan Zacharias, who directed HBO Europe’s “Wasteland,” returns to the premium pay-TV player to helm all episodes.
“We’re delighted to have such a strong team both in front of and behind the camera to bring this original, international spy story to life,” said Antony Root, HBO Europe’s executive vice president of original programming and production. “Set at a pivotal moment in Central European history, Ondrej’s script also has startling relevance in today’s global political climate, while Ivan brings the story, period and characters to life with his inimitable authenticity and style.”
Tereza Polachova, producer for HBO Czech Republic, added that the story is seen from Marie’s perspective, giving a female take on a what is usually a male-oriented genre. “Telling a spy story from the point of view of an average woman made this a fascinating, compelling and irresistible drama for us – and, we believe, will do for audiences, too,” she said.
Executive producers are Polachova for HBO Czech Republic and Steve Matthews for HBO Europe. Jan Bilek produces for Etamp Film.
