Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole and Humans’ Sope Dirisu are to star in Sky and Cinemax drama Gangs of London.

The pair will lead the line in the Pulse Films-produced drama, which was first revealed by Deadline in November 2017, and was created by Gareth Evans.

The drama, which will launch in 2019, is set in contemporary London as it is being torn apart by power struggles involving several international gangs. The series begins as the head of one criminal gang is assassinated and the power vacuum threatens the fragile peace between the other underworld organizations.

It comes from an original idea by The Raid director Evans and Matt Flannery, who has worked alongside Evans as cinematographer on a number of his films.

Cole and Dirisu will be joined by actors including Lucian Msamati (Black Earth Rising), Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones), Mark Lewis Jones (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Narges Rashidi (The Girlfriend Experience), Jing Lusi (Crazy Rich Asians), Pippa Bennett-Warner (Harlots), Brian Vernel (Dunkirk), Orli Shuka (War Machine), Richard Harrington (Poldark), Jude Akuwidike (Beasts of No Nation) and Emmett J Scanlan (Peaky Blinders).

Produced by Pulse Films in association with Jane Featherstone’s Sister Pictures, Evans will direct the majority of the series with The Nun’s Corin Hardy taking on three episodes and Xavier Gens (Hitman) taking two episodes.

It will be produced by Hugh Warren (Hard Sun) and will be executive produced by Pulse Films’ Thomas Benski and Lucas Ochoa alongside Sister Pictures’ Jane Featherstone and Sky’s Gabriel Silver.

Dirisu is repped by Markham, Froggatt and Irwin. Cole is repped by CAA and Troika.