A brand new thriller starring a major breakthrough talent has begun filming in Bristol this week.
Extinction, a Sky Original eight-parter produced by Urban Myth Productions in association with Sky Studios, is described as a "gripping exploration of memory, fate, and the limits of love".
Its protagonist George is played by Paapa Essiedu, who rose to fame following his role as Kwame in BBC drama I May Destroy You.
Extinction follows the story of George as he begins to re-live time after witnessing the end of the world.
When George is recruited into an organisation of people who share his ability and harness it to stop global catastrophes, he goes rogue in a bid to save the woman he loves.
Unfolding over eight blistering episodes, Extinction is written by Joe Barton, who also wrote highly-rated crime novel series Giri/Haji, alongside Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy.
It is directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner, the internationally acclaimed director of Amazon Prime series Beat, who also serves as executive producer.
Alongside Essiedu the series stars Tom Burke (Strike), Anjli Mohindra (The Bodyguard), Caroline Quentin (Men Behaving Badly), Rudi Dharmalingam (The Split) and Charly Clive (Pure).
A Bristol Film Office spokesperson was not able to reveal where the filming is taking place this week.
This is not the only shoot underway in the city right now, with crews also based at Berkeley Square for the second series of Amazon Prime's Alex Rider, as well as for Becoming Elizabeth and Stephen Merchant's The Offenders.
Urban Myth Productions is no stranger to filming in Bristol. The city has provided the backdrop for two series of Fox TV’s War of the Worlds in the city, starring Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern.
The second series of War of the Worlds, which also stars Normal People lead actress Daisy Edgar-Jones and is due to launch later this year, was the first high-end television project in the UK to re-commence filming after the first lockdown lifted.
Urban Myth also filmed upcoming Netflix sci-fi drama The One in Bristol in early 2020, which is scheduled to premiere this spring.
Laura Aviles, Senior Film Manager for Bristol City Council, said: "It’s great to welcome Urban Myth Productions back to Bristol for this shoot.
"We’ve started the year on a very strong footing for production in Bristol with robust Covid-19 safety protocols in place for productions to follow whilst filming on the street and the Bristol Film Office team on hand to help ensure that shoots run smoothly.
"With the worldwide appetite for screen content stronger than ever, this fast-growing sector is going to be a crucial part of national and regional economic recovery and as a location, Bristol’s film friendly infrastructure is well placed to cater for that demand."
While people are urged to work from home unless they cannot under the latest coronavirus restrictions, exemptions are in place for the creative sector, which includes film TV production.
