Natalie Dormer, Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games star is set to lead the cast of White Lies, a South African crime thriller from M-Net, Quizzical Pictures and Fremantle.
According to THR, the British actress who became a fan favorite for playing Margaery Tyrell across 26 episodes of Game of Thrones is currently in Cape Town, where shooting is due to start on March 6.
Joining Dormer is award-winning South African actor Brendon Daniels, whose credits include the acclaimed film Four Corners, Skemerdans and Trackers, another M-Net international co-production.
Created by Sean Steinberg and written by award-winning scriptwriter Darrel Bristow-Bovey, White Lies is described as an “urgent exploration of race and privilege, inequality and identity.”
Set in the wealthy neighbourhood of Bishopscourt, Cape Town, the series is described as following investigative journalist Edie Hansen (Dormer) as she gets caught up in the ugly underbelly that lies beneath the picturesque beauty of the city, dragging her back to a turbulent past. Following her estranged brother’s murder in his luxury home, Edie’s world plunges deeper into chaos when her brother’s teenage children become prime suspects for the crime. As Edie investigates, she finds herself at loggerheads with veteran detective Forty Bell (Daniels), and grapples with the crumbling local police force, a corrupt political system, and the secretive world of extreme Cape wealth.
“I’m thrilled to be in Cape Town and begin this beautiful, gripping show,” said Dormer, who signed a first-look deal with Fremantle in 2018 to develop a slate of drama projects. “South Africa has so much to offer an international audience in its storytelling. I’m truly excited to bring Darrel’s eight episode page-turner to life with such a group of talented directors, led by John, and a superb ensemble cast.”
Also joining the cast are are Langley Kirkwood (Warrior, The Catch, Inconceivable), Morgan Santo (Raised by Wolves), Daniel Schultz (Upon the Edge), Jane de Wet (The Girl from St. Agnes, Still Breathing), Katlego Lebogang (Wounds), Robert Hobbs (District 9, The Girl from St Agnes, Isibaya) and Athenkosi Mfamela (Knuckle City).
