Tom Riley to Star in ITV Encore Thriller

LONDON: ITV Encore has commissioned a new crime thriller written by Chris Lang and based on the novel Suffer the Children, with Tom Riley (Da Vinci’s Demons, The Collection) set to star.

ITV Studios Global Entertainment will have international rights to the two-hour film, Dark Heart. Riley portrays DI Will Wagstaffe (“Staffe”), who must lead an investigation into attacks on two men suspected of being pedophiles while still struggling to cope with the unresolved murder of his parents when he was a child.

ITV’s controller of drama, Victoria Fea, noted, “As Will Wagstaffe investigates gruesome crimes it’s hard to believe that his personal life could be as complex as his day job, but as we get to know Staffe we realize he’s utterly haunted by his past. Viewers will be left guessing not only who is behind the murders that Staffe is investigating, but also wondering what history lies behind Wagstaffe’s family.”

“Chris Lang has written a truly compelling and atmospheric script,” said Kate Bartlett at ITV Studios. “Adam Creed created a fascinating character in Will Wagstaffe with so many layers, and Chris has brilliantly brought him to screen. We’re thrilled that Tom Riley is playing him.”

The cast for the ITV Studios production for ITV Encore also includes Charlotte Riley, Miranda Raison, Anjli Mohindra, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Tom Brooke.