Colin Firth plays a helpless father seeking justice for his daughter who tragically died following a terrorist attack in the new Sky & Peacock original series. The show is based on the 1988 terrorist attack on Pan Am Flight 103, which killed 259 people on board the plane and 11 on the ground.
Firth plays real-life preacher Dr. Jim Swire, whose daughter died in what is considered one of Britain’s deadliest terrorist attacks. Subsequently, Swire becomes an advocate for those affected by the tragedy. According to the series’ synopsis, he embarks on a “relentless journey that not only jeopardizes his stability, family and life but also completely erodes his trust in the justice system.”
During his quest for justice, Swire uncovers harsh truths about the world, changing his outlook on life forever. The trailer begins with Firth and Catherine McCormack – who plays Swire’s wife Jane – saying goodbye to their daughter. Later, a phone call informing them of the Pan Am Flight 103 disaster devastates the Swire family.
“Why is there so much secrecy in this? Your government knew, they all knew, the Bridget Jones actor yells at an official in the trailer. When McCormack’s character asks why he never stopped searching for answers after his daughter’s death, Firth’s Swire replied, “I’ll never stop until we find answers to everything.”
The five-part series, co-produced by Carnival Films, part of Universal International Studios, and Sky Studios, will be directed by BAFTA winner Otto Bathurst, best known for his work on Peaky Blinders and The Winter King. The show’s executive producers Gareth Neame and Nigel Merchant released a statement elaborating on the project.
“The bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 was one of the most devastating acts of terrorism, taking the lives of 270 innocent people, including US and UK citizens,” the statement said. As a spokesperson for the UK’s victims’ families, he has followed Dr Jim Swire’s story for more than three decades.
Neame and Merchant said, “It is important to see Colin Firth’s captivating performance now as he depicts Jim’s life’s work on screen.” The story, centered on love and loss, will deeply explore the distorted political landscape of those times. It will highlight how an ordinary person can “confront governments and world leaders in the pursuit of truth.”
Lockerbie: A Search for Truth will premiere on January 2 on Sky Atlantic and streaming platforms Now in the UK and Peacock in the US.
