Troy: Fall Of A City is a new eight-part “swords and sandals” series, which has begun shooting in South Africa.
To finance the project, the BBC has teamed up with the streaming service Netflix to make the show, which will be screened first on BBC One, either later this year or early 2018.
At a reported £6million-an-episode, the BBC is saying the series “will be like nothing broadcast before”.
Netflix was also involved in making the most expensive drama, The Crown, which cost £100million for the first season.
The Troy drama has an impressive cast with Shameless’s David Threlfall, Chloe Pirrie, from War And Peace and Frances O’Connor, from Mr Selfridge, heading the bill, along with two newcomers, Australian Louis Hunter and Bella Dayne, from the science fiction TV series Humans.
Louis and Bella play Paris and Helen, the two lovers whose passionate affair plunges Greece and Troy into war.
David Threlfall is Paris’ father, King Priam of Troy, alongside Frances O’Connor as Hecuba, Queen of Troy, and Tom Weston-Jones as their eldest son Hector.
Ripper Street’s Jonas Armstrong plays Menelaos, the King of Sparta whose marriage to Helen is destroyed when Paris arrives in his city.
Writer David Farr said: “I’m delighted we’ve assembled such a high quality ensemble cast mixing some exciting new faces with experienced actors whom I have long coveted and admired.”
BBC drama boss Piers Wenger said: “We now have the perfect cast to bring David Farr’s extraordinary scripts to life.
“In Louis Hunter and Bella Dayne we have two of the most exciting, upcoming actors cast as two of mythology’s most iconic figures. “
Troy: Fall Of A City is being filmed in Cape Town and will be streamed globally on Netflix after premiering on BBC One.
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