THE LOCKERBIE BOMBING: A Father’s Search for Justice
Oscar winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) is in Scotland this week to film a new SKY series, based on the events surrounding the 1988 Lockerbie disaster and closely following Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph’s moving book, The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father’s Search for Justice.
Colin Firth plays Dr Jim Swire and Catherine McCormack (Slow Horses / Lucan / Braveheart) also stars as Jim Swire’s wife, Jane. Otto Bathurst, director of Peaky Blinders, is lead director of this new five-part drama series. And the lead writer is Scottish playwright David Harrower, known for Blackbird. Jim Loach (Oranges and Sunshine) will also direct an episode.
The drama series follows the disaster that saw the lives of 270 people lost, including all 259 passengers and crew on Pan Am flight 103, and 11 as the the flight hit houses and the ground as it came down on the small Scottish town of Lockerbie.
The series is co-production between Carnival Films (DOWNTOWN ABBEY) and SKY. Filming is ongoing in West Lothian in Scotland with Bathgate, Bo’ness, Linlithgow, Glasgow and the central locations for the cast so far. The drama will be broadcast laster this year, streaming on SKY and on NOW in UK and Europe and on Peacock in the USA.
Official statement:
‘In the wake of the disaster and his daughter Flora’s death, Dr. Jim Swire is nominated spokesperson for the UK victims’ families, who have united to demand truth and justice,’ the show’s official description states. ‘Travelling across continents and political divides, Jim embarks on a relentless journey that not only jeopardises his stability, family and life, but completely overturns his trust in the justice system. As the truth shifts under Jim’s feet, his view of the world is left forever sullied. Exploring events from the disaster and its aftermath, Lockerbie provides an intimate account of a man, a husband, and a father who risks everything in memory of his daughter and the unflinching pursuit of truth and justice.’
Read more in media:
Daily Mail
Variety
The Independent
Daily record
A second series, completely separate from this one, is currently in production for BBC and Netflix.
