Filming has begun on a new espionage thriller starring Rhys Meyers, acting legend Sir John Hurt and Olivia Thirlby.
Set in 1989, Damascus Cover focuses on a veteran spy sent undercover in Syria to smuggle a chemical weapons scientist and his family out of Damascus.
Within days of his arrival he realises he’s being followed. His partner doesn’t show, his local contact disappears, and a group of men are trying to kill him. It’s not long before his routine mission unravels to reveal a string of murderous conspirators.
Marked for death and caught in a maddening puzzle, he must race for survival…
The film is produced by UK-based production company, Big Book Media and based on the best-selling 1977 novel by Howard Kaplan with a screenplay by Samantha Newton and Daniel Berk.
Producer, Hannah Leader said: “Damascus Cover is a great script – believable and brilliant. The characters and situations are vividly drawn and the Middle East setting really brings to life this spellbinding moment in history, which is both topical and timely. With Daniel at the helm, it’s going to be a beautiful picture.”
Jonathan Rhys Meyers takes the lead in this fast-paced action thriller. Jonathan said: “I’m enormously excited about this role.
“This was a hugely significant time in the conflict in the Middle East, post-cold war and with the collapse of the Berlin Wall when an amount of spies were redeployed to the Middle East, where the theatre of covert operations would now take precedence.
“With a highly thoughtful and intelligent script by Daniel Berk and Samantha Newton I’m thrilled to be a part of this project and can’t wait to start shooting with a very gifted international cast and crew.”