Luke Evans, known for his roles in Nine Perfect Strangers and Fast and Furious, is set to star in Emergency, a new thriller series that delves into the Malayan Emergency, a guerilla war that unfolded in the 1950s. According to Deadline exclusive report, the series is based on true events that will follow three key characters caught in the conflict between communist insurgents and British-led forces. Evans will also serve as an executive producer on the project.
Hailing from the co-production label Sympatico, a collaboration between Richard Johns’ Argo Films and Malaysian production company Double Vision, Emergency is in advanced stages of development. The series promises to shed light on the lesser-known yet pivotal Malayan Emergency, focusing on the perspectives of a female Malayan Chinese guerilla fighter, a conflicted Malay policeman, and a British army officer. Evans will portray Brigadier “Mad” Mike Calvert, a controversial and closeted British commander leading the elite Malayan Scouts, tasked with combating communist forces.
Talking about his character in the series, Evan said, “Mike Calvert’s actions in Malaya laid the foundations for the politico-military strategy of winning the hearts and minds of the people during war – a counter-insurgency doctrine used the world over ever since.” “He is one of the least-known yet most important and influential military leaders of the past century and it will be an honor to work with Richard and Min to help bring his incredible story to international audiencesm,” he added.
The drama explores Calvert’s journey deep into the Malayan jungle as he seeks to win over rural communities that protect the guerilla fighters. With time running out, Calvert must secure local support while facing the impending deployment of a devastating new weapon: the herbicide that would later become known as Agent Orange.
As the series heads into its final stages of development, Min Lim, head of Double Vision, is in Cannes at MIPCOM to meet with potential partners. Lim expressed optimism about the growing appetite for high-quality, authentic Asian dramas: “As witnessed with the recent ground-breaking Emmy success of Shogun, the world is ready for authentic, beautifully produced dramas out of Asia – and we are having positive conversations with various international broadcasters and platforms that fully endorse this.”
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