Mark Strong to Star in Comic Thriller ‘Temple’ for Sky

By Robert Mitchell

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Mark Strong is set to star in new comic thriller “Temple” for Sky, the European pay-TV broadcaster announced Wednesday. Strong will be joined in the eight-part original production by Dutch star Carice van Houten (“Game of Thrones”) and British actor Daniel Mays.

Set deep below the streets of London, “Temple” is described as a story of fate, chaos and consequence which asks how far you would go to save the person you love. It is written by playwright Mark O’Rowe and adapted from Norwegian drama series “Valkyrien.”

Strong stars as a surgeon working in an illegal clinic, set up in an abandoned subterranean network of tunnels. Driven by personal tragedy to treat anyone willing to pay for medical help outside the system he is assisted in his work by a guilt-ridden medical researcher (van Houten) and a disgruntled transport employee (Mays).

Strong, who also serves as an executive producer on the show, said “Temple” would be “a gripping and humane morality tale for our time.”

The prolific actor recently headlined Fox thriller “Deep State” (pictured) earlier this year, which aired on Epix in the U.S. in June. A second season was commissioned in April. He recently finished shooting DC Entertainment’s feature “Shazam!” for Warner Bros, which will be released in April next year.

“Temple” is produced by Hera Pictures for Sky. Liza Marshall, Strong and O’Rowe serve as executive producers for Hera, alongside Gabriel Silver and Anne Mensah for Sky. Luke Snellin will be the lead director alongside Shariff Korver and Lisa Siwe. Barney Reisz serves as producer. The show is co-funded by Sky Vision, which will handle international distribution. It will air on Sky One in the U.K. in 2019.