McMafia, BBC One’s epic new drama set in the international crime world, has begun filming in London.

Created by screenwriter and director Hossein Amini (Drive) and James Watkins (The Woman in Black), the eight-part series is produced by the makers of BBC One’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

Inspired by Misha Glenny’s 2008 bestselling book, McMafia follows a Russian family living in exile in London.

The first official promotional photo shows James Norton (War & Peace, Grantchester) as Alex Godman with Maria Shukshina (Yolki 3) as his mother Oksana. When his family’s past murderously returns to threaten them, Alex is forced to confront his values to protect those he loves.

The cast also includes David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum), Faye Marsay (Game Of Thrones), Juliet Rylance (Frances Ha) and Aleksey Serebryakov (The Method).

The official synopsis reads: “As the English-raised son of Russian exiles with a mafia history, Alex has spent his life trying to escape the shadow of that criminal past, building his own legitimate business and forging a life with his girlfriend Rebecca. What starts out as a story of survival and revenge becomes an epic tale of a man’s struggle against the lures of corruption in the modern world and in himself. McMafia is impressive and intimate, glamorous and gritty, global in scale and forensic in detail.”

Joining Hossein Amini and James Watkins on the show’s writing team are Peter Harness (Doctor Who, Wallander), David Farr (The Night Manager, Spooks) and Laurence Coriat (Me Without You).

Filming on McMafia will also take place in Croatia soon.

Are you looking forward to McMafia? Let us know below…