Kiwi actor to play Spanish detective

Various British newspapers have been reporting this week that New Zealand actor Marton Csokas has been tapped to play Spanish chief inspector Javier Falcón in a television adaptation of the novels by Robert Wilson. Csokas, who New Zealanders may still remember as the nerdy "Leonard" on our long-running TV soap Shortland Street, is better known internationally for his work in The Lord of the Rings (as Celeborn), The Bourne Supremecy (as Jarda), xXx (as Yorgi), Kingdom of Heaven (as Guy de Lusignan), and recently The Debt (as Young Stephan, opposite Helen Mirren), amongst many other film roles.

Csokas's Falcon is on the track of a brutal killer in Falcón: The Blind Man Of Seville, which is being shot in Spain now, directed by Pete Travis (Endgame) and written by Stephen Butchard (House of Saddam).  It follows Falcon’s investigation into a brutal killing which stirs up forgotten memories for the detective. As he investigates the crime he finds himself drawn to the widow of the victim.

Joining Csokas in the TV adaptation are Fifth Element star Charlie Creed-Miles, Hayley Atwell (Captain America), Emilia Fox (Silent Witness) and Kerry Fox (Cloudstreet). Bernard Hill (Titanic) and Santiago Cabrera (Heroes, Merlin) will also star in the series.

Reportedly, Falcon is Sky Atlantic's second homegrown UK drama commission, will be distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global Entertainment, and is part of Sky’s commitment to increase its investment in original British content by 50 per cent over the next three years. By 2014, the company expects to invest £600 million a year in British programmes across its portfolio of channels.

Have you read the Falcon books? What do you think about a TV adaptation?