Edward Holcroft (left) and Ben Whishaw to star in London Spy

(Photos: Getty)

"London Spy is the story of a chance romance between two people from very different worlds, one from the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, the other from a world of clubbing and youthful excess."

BBC America is co-producing a five-part miniseries called London Spy, created by best-selling author Tom Rob Smith (Child 44). The project will be co-produced with BBC Two and Working Title Television.

London Spy will star Ben Whishaw as Danny, "an innocent, young romantic" who meets anti-social, enigmatic and brilliant British Secret Intelligence agent Alex (Edward Holcroft). The two realize they're perfect for one another, but then Alex disappears and Danny is "drawn into a dangerous world of espionage" to find out what happened to him. "Danny, utterly ill-equipped to take on the complex and codified world of British espionage, must decide whether he's prepared to fight for the truth."

Well, if the world isn't ready for a gay 007, then Whishaw ("Q" in the recent James Bond movies) as a gay club kid drawn into the world of espionage is certainly a step in the right direction.

The thriller will also star Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling and will be directed by Jakob Verbruggen, whose credits include The Fall and the US version of The Bridge. Filming on the miniseries started in London this week. 

This is the first television project for creator and writer Tom Rob Smith.

Juliette Howell, Head of Television at co-producer Working Title Television, says: "Working Title couldn’t be more proud to be producing this captivating drama. Incredible scripts, a hugely gifted director and a world-class cast; London Spy exudes quality through and through"

The 5-part miniseries will air on BBC America in 2015.