Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire, Trishna, Knight of Cups) will star in the six-part series Guerrilla set up at Sky Atlantic and Showtime. The limited series will be written and executive produced by Oscar winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave), with Ridley directing three episodes and Sam Miller directing three episodes. Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation) is co-starring and will executive produce the dramatic series. Patrick Spence, Katie Swinden, Tracy Underwood, and Michael McDonald are also on board as executive producers. Filming’s expected to get underway this summer in London.
“I’m thrilled to be working with an artist like John Ridley who has written these compelling scripts filled with thoughtful and complicated characters,” stated Pinto.
The Plot: Guerrilla is a love story set against the backdrop of one of the most politically explosive times in U.K. history. It tells the story of a politically active couple whose relationship and values are tested when they liberate a political prisoner and form a radical underground cell in 1970s London. Their ultimate target becomes the Black Power Desk, a true-life, secretive counter-intelligence unit within Special Branch dedicated to crushing all forms of black activism. Whilst the series is set against a background of social and political activism, at its heart Guerrilla is about a relationship under pressure, and the reality that for any couple there comes a point when the choices they make have real and lasting consequences.
Pinto will play the role of Jas Mitra, a passionate and politically driven individual. As a member of a newly-formed radical underground cell, Jas helps liberate a charismatic convict from prison in an effort to lead the street fight against social injustice in 1971 London.
