New Pictures (The Long Shadow, Champion, The Missing) is partnering with actor Kit Harington (Game of Thrones, Testament of Youth, Criminal) and writer Daniel West’s (Gunpowder, Top Boy) production company Thriker Films on a new eight-part thriller.
Empire of Dirt (w/t) tells the story of City hotshot Jake Galloway who reluctantly returns to his family farm in the Lake District for a distant cousin's wedding - only to be pulled headlong into a deadly criminal enterprise.
Jake hasn’t been home in fifteen years, but following a tragic accident this prodigal son suddenly finds himself the unwilling head of his family. He must heal the toxic legacy of his tyrannical father, repair relationships with his estranged siblings and mother, and juggle his own demons - all whilst fighting for the sprawling farm’s survival. But in doing so Jake discovers something unthinkable, his father’s darkest secret - a multimillion-pound drugs racket run from a hidden corner of the family land.
Willow Grylls, Co-Founder and CEO, New Pictures says: “Empire of Dirt will be thrilling, dangerous and fun, but always with a searing emotional core. It plays on our darkest flaws - jealousy, ambition, and the broken children who are dragged along in the wake of a vindictive and tyrannical parent. We are thrilled to be partnering with the incredible talents of Kit and Daniel on such an exciting project.”
Daniel West and Kit Harington say: “Empire of Dirt is a very British Western, set against the Lake District’s stunning visual backdrop. The Galloways are a family fighting to survive, wrestling with their identity, trauma and the burden of inheritance, as ancient traditions collide with the mores of modern Britain. We couldn’t be more excited to work with Willow and the team at New Pictures to bring this propulsive contemporary thriller to the screen.”
Empire of Dirt is developed in association with All3Media International.