Sky has dropped a first-look teaser for its upcoming legal thriller, WAR, and with Dominic West and Sienna Miller helming the show, it's gone straight to the top of my autumn watchlist.
Brought to us by George Kay – the mastermind behind Lupin and Hijack – this high-stakes divorce drama plunges audiences into the cutthroat world of London's elite legal circles.
The series centres on two of the city's most prestigious rival law firms, Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne, who go head-to-head over the high-profile divorce between tech entrepreneur Morgan Henderson (Dominic West) and international film star Carla Duval (Sienna Miller).
© Sky/ HBO/ New PicturesA new teaser gives us a glimpse of the eight-part series, which arrives on UK screens on 2 October via Sky and NOW.
"This is likely to be the biggest divorce trial in British legal history," Morgan's legal advisor, St John Smallwood (Pip Torrens), warns.
Meanwhile, Nina Sosanya's Beatrice Ubosi, the 'Queen Bee' of Cathcarts & Sons, is clearly ready for battle. "If they play dirty, we will be total and utter filth," she says.
© Sky/ HBO/ New PicturesThe trailer's final shot sees a determined Carla vowing to take her ex for "every penny he's got," adding: "And he's got quite a few."
Teasing plenty of scandal, excellent performances from a stacked cast and a refreshingly original premise, War is shaping up to be one of autumn's must-watch shows. And with Sky already greenlighting a second season, confidence in the show is clearly high.
As production begins on season two, here is everything we know about the first outing.
What is War about?
The upcoming series follows the lives of London's most powerful lawyers as top firms Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne clash over a headline-grabbing legal battle, drawing ambitious young lawyer Johnny Warren (Archie Renaux), into a ruthless world where ambition is currency, betrayal is strategy and winning is everything, according to the synopsis
© Sky/ HBO/ New PicturesIt continues: "Series one follows the explosive divorce of British tech entrepreneur Morgan Henderson and international film star Carla Duval, as law firms Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne stop at nothing to secure victory for their clients."
The inspiration for the series
Speaking at Sky's content showcase, UP NEXT, earlier this year, creator George revealed the plot was inspired by an interaction he had with a woman on a train who screamed for joy after her ex-husband finally signed their divorce papers after five years of "hell."
"I was very keen on trying to do something really big and old-fashioned," he told HELLO! and other press. "In the streaming age, I feel like we've gone away from these shows we've all grown up watching.
"I had the idea to do a big legal show, looking for a case that would be the heart of season one, this mega divorce between Dominic West and Sienna Miller," continued the writer.
© Getty Images"I was on a train and this woman was behind me in the queue. She was very formal-looking and smart. She was on the phone, and said, 'Yes, yes,' and then she screamed in front of everyone," George explained.
"I turned around and said, 'What on earth was that phone call about?' and she said, 'The [expletive] signed. I've been in this divorce hell for five years and finally it's over'.
"I realised we might have the story we wanted for this legal show," he added.
Who else stars in War?
The impressive cast includes Phoebe Fox as Serena Byrne and James McArdle as Nicholas Taylor, partners in life and business at Taylor & Byrne, while Nina Sosanya plays Beatrice 'Queen Bea' Ubosi and Pip Torrens portrays St John Smallwood, their counterparts at Cathcarts & Sons.
Celia Imrie, Nick Mohammed, Emma Laird, Aran Murphy, Archie Panjabi, Adrian Scarborough, Shaheen Jafargholi, Akiya Henry, Honor Swinton Byrne, Miles Jupp, Kartanya Maynard, Alexandra Mardell, Dylan Murphy, Mark Quartley and Steve Furst also star.
WAR will premiere in the UK on 2 October on Sky and streaming service NOW.
