Months after we got our first look at ITV’s adaptation of Len Deighton’s famed spy novel The Ipcress File, we finally have a trailer.
Over a year since we first heard that ITV would be adapting Len Deighton’s spy novel The Ipcress File into a new six-part drama series, we’ve finally got our hands on a trailer.
The minute-long clip – which premiered on the channel yesterday evening (23 January) gives us a closer look at Peaky Blinders’ Joe Cole in his role as Harry Palmer, a British sergeant with a criminal past who is given the chance to become a spy instead of facing prison time.
As the trailer opens, we learn more about the first mission Palmer will undertake – tracking down a missing person in Berlin. But that’s not all of it: in fact, as the trailer progresses, we find out that this missing person happens to be a nuclear scientist responsible for designing atomic bombs.
We also get a glimpse of Lucy Boynton in her role as Palmer’s assistant Jean Courtney (whom Palmer begins to develop a relationship with), as well as Tom Hollander and Ashley Thomas in action as Major Dalby and Maddox respectively.
There’s a lot to take in – and if the trailer’s anything to go by, this series will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat. Keep reading to find out more about ITV’s The Ipcress File, including when it’s set to air.
What is the plot of The Ipcress File?
As the official synopsis reads: “It’s 1963. Cold war rages between West and East. Nuclear bombers are permanently airborne. In this highly charged atmosphere, we join Harry Palmer – a British army sergeant on the make in Berlin. In this newly partitioned city, a sharp working-class young man with sophisticated tastes can make a lot of money. Wholesaler, retailer, fixer, smuggler, Harry’s varied interests bring him into contact with everything and everyone – until the law catches up 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.
“Harry’s links to the man suspected of kidnapping a missing British nuclear scientist result in him being conscripted for a dangerous undercover mission that takes him from the Beatles’ London to the Berlin Wall, from the back alleys of Beirut to the white-hot sand of a Nuclear Atoll in the Pacific.
“A twist-laden spy thriller with a rich cast of characters, The Ipcress File is a stylish and tense tale of abducted scientists, brainwashing, inter-departmental rivalry, treason, and a possibly unwise romance.”
Who will star in The Ipcress File?
If that plot summary didn’t sound exciting enough to pique your interest, the series has also already accrued a pretty stellar line-up.
Leading the series will be none other than Peaky Blinders and Gangs of London star Joe Cole, who will take on the role of Palmer alongside fellow cast members Tom Hollander (The Night Manager and Us), Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody and The Politician) and Ashley Thomas (Them and Top Boy).
The line-up behind the camera is also seriously exciting. For one, the series is being adapted by BAFTA-winning Trainspotting writer John Hodge.
And that’s not forgetting the fact that The Crown producer Andrew Eaton will be executive producing alongside Black Mirror director James Watkins.
Speaking about the upcoming series, director Watkins commented: “We can’t wait to bring Len Deighton’s intoxicating web of spies – sexier than Smiley’s People, more real than Bond – to a wider television audience. With his sly wit and understated integrity clashing against the establishment, working-class spy Harry Palmer is more relevant than ever.”
When will The Ipcress File be available to watch?
We don’t have an exact date, but we do know that the series will be coming some time in March, so make sure to mark your calendars!
Trailer: ITV
Images: ITV
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