Richard Armitage & Jing Lusi to Lead High Octane Thriller 'Red Eye'

For most of us, overnight flights are a nightmare at the best of times. From the cramped conditions and disorienting time changes to the fact that it's almost impossible to sleep, red eyes are the worst. And that's without dealing with high-stakes threats involving murder and conspiracy. 

Such are the threats facing the passengers aboard Red Eye, an upcoming six-part thriller from ITVX about an all-night plane flight from London to Beijing and the corridors of power within Whitehall. Perennial Anglophile favorite Richard Armitage (Obsession) starts as Dr. Matthew Nolan, a physician who comes frighteningly close to dying in a car crash while attending a medical conference in Beijing.

But when he arrives home in London, he's immediately arrested at Heathrow Airport and accused of the murder of a woman who was in the car he crashed. Exhausted and confused, Nolan insists that he was driving alone, But despite his protests, he's immediately ordered to return to China to face charges.

Crazy Rich Asians breakout star Jing Lusi plays DC Hana Li, the no-nonsense London officer assigned the task of accompanying Nolan back to Beijing. But Li suspects foul play might be involved when a death occurs on their overnight flight to China. Nolan and Hana are embroiled in an escalating conspiracy as the bodies pile up.  

“Red Eye is a brilliantly addictive thriller with an international story taking place on the red eye flight from Heathrow to Beijing,” ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill said in a statement. “Thanks to Peter’s scripts, the story will have the audience gripped and continually surprised. It’s got a fantastic cast led by Jing Lusi and Richard Armitage, and we are delighted to be working with Bad Wolf on this exciting new show.”

The series cast also includes Jemma More (Lockwood & Co.) as Hana’s scrappy sister Jess, a London reporter running her own investigation into Nolan’s extradition, and Lesley Sharp (Before We Die) as head of MI-5 Madeline Delaney, who is willing to risk her career to keep Hana and Nolan alive and expose an international conspiracy that implicates her own government. 

“I’m excited to be boarding Red Eye alongside Jing Lusi,” Armitage said. “This action-packed espionage thriller is one of the best scripts I have read in a long time. Thrilled to be reuniting with the brilliant Julie Gardner and the team at Bad Wolf and Sony… what a ride!”

“Red Eye marks a turning point in British Asian representation, and I am beyond thrilled and proud to be leading this series alongside the wonderful Richard Armitage,” Lusi added. 

Red Eye is the debut TV project from Flightplan director Peter A. Dowling. Dowling and Jingan Young write the series, and will be produced by Bad Wolf. Julie Gardner (I Hate Suzie) will executive produce alongside Lachlan MacKinnon (Industry). Fortitude director Kieron Hawkes will helm all six episodes, which will be produced by Kristian Dench (The Capture). Sony Pictures Television is handling international distribution with an eye to a 2024 release.