Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw will star in a Doctor Who spin-off called The War Between The Land And The Sea, it has been announced.
They will lead the cast alongside Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient in the series, which was created by Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.
He has written the series with Pete McTighe, who has also worked on Doctor Who.
The action begins when a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, and triggering an international crisis. With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war.
The series was announced by the BBC and Disney, which airs the show outside of the UK on Disney+, at San Diego Comic-Con.
Davies said: “I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast. And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations.
“When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble.”
“Featuring a stellar cast, with Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw taking on leading roles, this brand new, epic, mini-series will leave audiences on the edge of their seats as they watch UNIT take on one of their biggest battles to save humanity.”
Filming on the show begins next month and will be directed by Dylan Holmes-Williams, who has previously directed episodes of Doctor Who.
The series will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, and on Disney+ outside of the UK where available.
