Damian Lewis and Dominic West are in talks to star in A Spy Among Friends, a new drama series that will debut in the UK on Britbox.

The six-episode drama is based on Ben Macintyre’s book, and is expected to premiere in autumn 2021.

The story follows the real-life defection of notorious British intelligence officer and KGB double agent, Kim Philby (West), through the lens of his complex relationship with MI6 colleague and close friend, Nicholas Elliott (Lewis). The show examines espionage through their friendship, the fallout of which affects East-West relations to this day.

According to Deadline, A Spy Among Friends was due to go into production in the UK in September, but the shooting plan is currently up in the air because of the coronavirus pandemic. Lewis needs to complete filming on the last five episodes of Season 5 of Showtime’s Billions, whose production has been put on hold by the pandemic, before he can move on to other acting projects.