'Gangs of London' TV series news: 'Raid' director helming the series

"The Raid" director Gareth Evans is working on a new series called "Gangs of London," which, as related as it may seem, is totally independent of the hit 2006 video game of the same title.

The director is currently working on an original idea, in collaboration with cinematographer Matt Flannery.

Set in the present-day capital of England, "Gangs of London" will show a city torn apart by power struggles and consistent wars among various international gangs. The head of one major criminal organization will be assassinated, making the city rift for a more intense warfare. This will threaten the already fragile stability among the underworld groups.

Evans' "The Raid" franchise is known for its well choreographed fight sequences, and the same can be expected in his small screen action series.

"It has been a thrilling experience to leap into long-form storytelling, exploring a multicultural world of global crime as it intersects on the streets of London," the director said in a statement.

Gareth has high hopes for the series, and plans to start shooting in 2018. That is after he gets the script from writers Peter Berry, Clare Wilson, and Joe Murtagh.

The project will be a co-production between HBO/Sky Atlantic with Pulse Films and Sister Pictures. Thomas Benski and Lucas Ochoa from Pulse, along with Featherstone and Anna Ferguson from Sky, are serving as executive producers.

Gareth made his directorial debut in 2006 for the revenge thriller "Footsteps," but his international acclaim came in the martial arts action film "The Raid," which had its first installment in 2001. It was followed by "The Raid 2" in 2014, and "The Raid 3," which has just recently ended filming. He also has an upcoming periodic thriller, "Apostle," coming out in 2018.

"Gangs of London" is slated for a 2019 premiere, to be aired in Cinemax in the U.S. and Sky in the U.K.

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