Luke Evans to star in new serial killer drama from makers of ‘Line of Duty’ and ‘Bodyguard’
'The Pembrokeshire Murders' will tell the true story of efforts to bring serial killer John Cooper to justice.
By Will Stroude
Luke Evans will star in a new ITV true crime drama from the makers of Line of Duty and Bodyguard.
The Welsh actor, 40, will play Dyfed-Powys Police officer Steve Wilkins in The Pembrokeshire Murders, a three-part series which will dramatise the events that led to the arrest of serial killer John Cooper in 2009.
In 2006, Wilkins reopened the investigation into two unsolved double murders in Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the 1980s, using pioneering forensic methods to link the killings with Cooper, who was serving time in prison for a string of robberies but was nearing release.
In a statement, Evans said it was a “privilege” to be playing Wilkins in the series, which will air on ITV and is being produced by World Productions, makers of BBC hits Line of Duty and Bodyguard.
“It’s a huge responsibility for me as the drama depicts a true crime which to this day still affects the families of those whose lives were tragically taken,” the actor said in a statement.
Filming for The Pembrokeshire Murders, which is based on true-crime book Catching the Bullseye Killer, written by Wilkins and ITV news journalist Jonathan Hill, begins today (21 January).
The series will also star Keith Allen (Eddie the Eagle), Owen Teale (Game of Thrones) Alexandria Riley (The End of the F***ing World) and David Fynn (Undateable) as Hill.
In May 2011, John Cooper was convicted of the murders of brother and sister Richard and Helen Thomas, who were killed at their home in 1985, and of couple Peter and Gwenda Dixon, whose bodies were found on a coastal path in 1989.
Cooper, 75, was later given a whole life tariff, meaning he will never be released from prison.
We recently caught up with Evans to discuss his dream roles, his recent move into music, and covering Cher on his debut album At Last – click here to read more.