Netflix’s ‘Black Doves’ Promises a Christmas Story With a Spy Thriller Twist

Black Doves is set to arrive on Netflix later this year, giving us a Christmas story with a British spy twist.

The upcoming series may have drawn inspiration from Die Hard, an action movie that has raised a long-standing debate over whether it counts as a Christmas movie or not. Likewise, Black Doves promises viewers a Christmas mystery with more violence and action than the typical holiday story.

The show is created by Joe Barton, who is best known for his work on the TV shows Gini/Haji and The Lazarus Project. Given that he has already tried his hand at British crime dramas and intriguing sci-fi thrillers to much success, it will be interesting to see what he does with a Christmas spy thriller. On top of that, the Netflix show has quite the cast stacked up.

What to expect from Black Doves

Black Doves does not yet have a release date. However, Netflix has confirmed the show will be available for streaming later this year. Its Christmas premise means the streamer may hold off on its release until November or December. Although it does not have a trailer yet, Netflix has confirmed the show’s cast.

Leading Black Doves is Pride and Prejudice star Keira Knightley as Helen Webb, an undercover spy. Starring opposite Knightley is Paddington star Ben Whishaw as Sam Young, an assassin who travels to London to help Helen on a mission of vengeance. Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire will also appear in Black Doves as Reed, the spy who recruited Helen, while Andrew Koji plays Helen’s secret lover, Jason. Rounding out the cast in undisclosed roles are Luther Ford, Finn Bennett, Tracey Ullman, Adeel Akhtar, Andrew Buchan, Karthyn Hunt, and Sam Troughton.

According to Tudum, Black Dove tells the story of Helen, a woman leading a double life. On the surface, she appears to be a doting wife and mother. However, she’s also secretly a spy sharing her husband’s political secrets with the spy organization Black Doves. Her life changes when her lover Jason is killed. While trying to find out how to avenge his death, she teams up with fellow assassin Jason, and the pair soon begin navigating the London underworld over the Christmas holiday.