Shot last summer on our shores, Sky Atlantic’s eagerly anticipated drama Riviera got its big debut recently at miptv, in front of players from the TV and digital industry.

There could not have been a more appropriate setting for the world premiere of Riviera, a new 10-part television series which is all about complex relationships and audacious excesses in the sun drenched luxury of the French Riviera!

Created by Oscar-winning writer and director Neil Jordan (The Borgias, The Crying Game), based on an idea by former U2 manager, Paul McGuiness, and co-written by Booker Prize-winning author John Banville (The Sea), the glamour thriller tells the story of Midwestern girl, Georgina, played by Hollywood star Julia Stiles (Jason Bourne) who was married to billionaire and art collector Constantine Clios, played by Anthony LaPaglia (Lantana), until his demise in a yacht explosion. As she tries to uncover the truth about his death, the heroine slowly comes face to face with the extent of her husband’s questionable business dealings, as well as a world of deceit, depravity, and corruption.

Aside from Stiles and LaPaglia, the international cast also includes some big names like Adrian Lester (London Spy) as Georgina’s friend and art dealer Robert Carver, Lena Olin (Chocolat) as Irina, the first wife of the dead man, and Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones) and Dimitri Leonidas (The Monument Men) as Constantine’s sons, Adam and Christos.

A murder, a glamorous location, a handful of colourful characters and a great dose of double-dealing, Riviera definitely has all the ingredients to become the next huge TV hit. While there are no fixed dates set for its release, the series is expected to launch in the UK and Ireland in late 2017, while many countries around the world have already bought the broadcasting rights.

All images courtesy Sky Atlantic