EXCLUSIVE: Taylor Kitsch (Waco, True Detective) and Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Safe) are set to lead the cast of Shadowplay, a gritty dramatic thriller series from The Bridge co-creator Måns Mårlind, Studiocanal’s Tandem Productions and BRON Studios in co-production with ZDF. Nina Hoss (Phoenix, A Most Wanted Man), Sebastian Koch (The Lives of Others, Homeland), Tuppence Middleton (Sense8, War and Peace), Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus) and Mala Emde (Brecht, Charité) round out the cast of the series’ first chapter.

Mårlind has conceived Shadowplay as a 16-episode series, told in two chapters. The initial eight-episode shoot will begin April 29 in Prague, and an additional eight episodes are planned for filming in 2020.

Created and written by Mårlin, Shadowplay is a character-driven thriller set in Berlin. It centers on the story of Max McLaughlin (Kitsch), an American cop who arrives in the city in the summer of 1946 to help create a police force in the chaotic aftermath of the war. Max’s goal is to take down “Engelmacher” Gladow (Koch), the Capone of post-war Berlin. At the same time, Max undertakes a secret crusade to find his missing brother Moritz (Marshall-Green), who is killing ex-Nazis in hiding. However, Max is completely unaware that he is being used as a pawn in what is the very beginning of the Cold War.

Kitsch will play Max, Hall is Tom Franklin, Hoss portrays Elsie, Koch will play Engelmacher, Middleton portrays Claire, Marshall-Green is Moritz and Emde is Karin.

Mårlind executive produces and will direct all episodes alongside his directing partner, Björn Stein (Underworld Awakening, Midnight Sun). Rola Bauer (Take Two, The Pillars of the Earth), Jonas Bauer (Spotless, The Company), Tim Halkin (World Without End, Labyrinth), Jim Gillespie (World Without End, I Know What You Did Last Summer), and Bron’s Aaron L. Gilbert, Steven Thibault and David Davoli (The Mule, Joker, Tully, Leave No Trace) also executive produce. Wolfgang Feindt (The Killing, The Same Sky) and Frank Seyberth (Trapped, The Bridge) executive produce for ZDF.

The first chapter of this one-hour returning series will be produced by Rick McCallum (Britannia, A United Kingdom), alongside Line Producer Veronika Lencova (Britannia, Crossing Lines), Director of Photography Erik Sohlström (Midnight Sun) and Production Designer Niels Sejer (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).

Tandem Productions and BRON Studios are producing the series in co-production with ZDF. Shadowplay is co-financed by Creative Wealth Media along with a line-up of major international networks, including Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group) for its premium streaming service Viaplay (Nordic region), Canal+ (France), Canal+ Poland and NPO (Holland). The series will be distributed worldwide by Studiocanal TV.

Tandem Productions and Kitsch are repped by CAA; Marshall-Green is repped by CAA and 3 Arts; Hall is repped by UTA, Authentic Talent & Literary Management and Hamilton Hodell; Mårlind is repped by Paradigm and Zero Gravity Management; Hoss is repped by Players Agentur Management; Middleton is repped by Conway van Gelder Grant; Emde is repped by Agentur Schwartz and Koch is repped by Agentur Schlag.