Rupert Graves joins Julia Stiles, Poppy Delevingne & Jack Fox for Series 3 of Sky original Riviera

Filming is under way on series 3 of Sky original Riviera, with a new cast line up including the much-loved Rupert Graves (Sherlock) playing Gabriel Hirsch.

Rupert will join returning cast members Julia Stiles, Poppy Delevingne and Jack Fox and a host of other stellar names including: Clare-Hope Ashitey (Doctor Foster) as Ellen Swann; Synnove Macody Lund (Headhunters) as Alex Harewood; Franco Masini as Cesar Alsina-Suarez; Elisio Barrionuevo as Dario Alsina-Suarez and Maurizio Lombardi as Luca Aliperti.

A year has passed since the explosive finale of the last series. Georgina (Stiles) has abandoned the cursed Riviera, leaving all its devastation and damage behind to start a new life. Now a rising star in international art restitution, she has reinvented herself as Georgina Ryland as she travels the world - from Venice to Argentina – on the hunt for stolen art works.

After the moral obscurity of the Riviera, Georgina revels in the relative black and white clarity that her new role gives her, as well as her new alliance with the carefree, charismatic and worldly Gabriel Hirsch.

But in a world in which power, legacy and justice are deadly obsessions, Riviera 3 will see Georgina’s loyalty, courage and resilience tested to the extreme, revealing the most surprising Georgina yet.

Cameron Roach, Sky’s Director of Drama & Sky Studios said: “Riviera has really captured the imagination of our subscribers and we’re thrilled to be returning to the audacious and unpredictable world occupied by Julia Stiles as Georgina, alongside her new co-star Rupert Graves.

“Riviera owns a unique space in the television landscape and we’re very proud of it as a show that offers the promise of danger and suspense whilst really entertaining and thrilling the viewer.”

Kris Thykier, Executive Producer for Archery Pictures comments: “We are committed to producing the most glamorous, most thrilling show on television and our third season looks set to be the most explosive to date. Shooting in exclusive locations in Venice, St Tropez and Buenos Aires, this series will dive into an entirely new world of corruption, deceit and murder amongst the globe-trotting 1%"

Paul McGuinness, Executive Producer for Primo Productions adds: "The Côte d'Azur was the original inspiration for the series and it feels good to be shooting in St Tropez, the spiritual home of Riviera. Effortlessly sexy, hedonistic and a little bit dangerous. We're excited to be back."

Julia Stiles adds: “The expansion of this season, in terms of the gorgeous new countries we visit, as well as our new cast members, means the web is even more tangled for Georgina. I am thrilled to navigate this gilded conspiracy through her eyes and with Rupert Graves by her side.”

Riviera is a Sky original drama in association with Altice Studios. Produced by Archery Pictures and Primo Productions, the Executive Producers are Kris Thykier, Paul McGuinness and Kara Manley for Sky Studios.

Sky has recently committed to more than double its investment in original drama, comedy and documentary through Sky Studios, the commissioning and production arm of Sky. Sky Studios brings to screen unique stories from the very best talent in Europe and is the creative home of Sky’s award-winning and much-loved Sky originals.

Latest Sky originals include: Temple starring Mark Strong, Catherine The Great starring Helen Mirren; a second series of Jez Butterworth’s Britannia and a second series of Save Me starring Lennie James and Suranne Jones. 2019 has been a record year for Sky Originals with Chernobyl receiving 10 Emmy awards and becoming the most watched original ever with over 4 million viewers of the season finale. And away from the screen, Sky secured a record BAFTA haul with seven awards.

About Sky

With 24 million customers across seven countries, Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of the Comcast group. Our 31,000 employees help connect our customers with the very best of Sports, News, the arts and to our own local, original content. Following the success of Sky originals like Chernobyl, Patrick Melrose, Das Boot and Gommorah we launched Sky Studios and now plan to more than double our investment in original drama and comedy over the next five years. Our technology allows customers to watch what they want, when they want, how they want, and as we connect millions of families to content they love, it is our responsibility to do it safely – that’s why we offer services like Sky Broadband Buddy and the Sky Kids app. And our online streaming service, NOW TV, brings viewers all the enjoyment of Sky with the flexibility of a contract-free service. We also believe that a company of our scale has a responsibility that goes beyond our business, and into the community. Our Sky Ocean Rescue campaign has reached millions across Europe, we’re on track to be free of single-use plastic by 2020, we’re investing £25million over five years in ocean-saving tech and we’re a proud employer – recognised by The Times and Stonewall for our approach to inclusivity.

About Archery Pictures

Archery Pictures is an independent production company founded in 2014 by Kris Thykier, encompassing his successful film company PeaPie Films. They are a team of creatives, driven by a passion to create bold, original and high-end film and television for international audiences. Archery has produced Riviera, a ten-part thriller for Sky Atlantic set against the backdrop of the opulent Côte d’Azur. Starring Julia Stiles and Adrian Lester, Riviera broke records by becoming Sky’s most downloaded box set ever. The State, a harrowing four-part drama written and directed by award-winner Peter Kosminsky was recently nominated for two Baftas. Riviera Series 3 is currently filming and will return to screens in 2020.

About Primo Productions

Primo Productions is a Film and TV production company headed by Paul McGuinness. Primo, in partnership with Archery Films, created the TV drama series Riviera set in the South of France for Sky Atlantic. Riviera's first season, which premiered in June 2017, was Sky Atlantic's most successful original drama ever, generating over 20 million downloads. The second series of Riviera aired in May 2019. Primo Productions have a number of other film and tv projects in development, working with both International and Irish writing and production talent. Alice Ryan joined Primo from the BBC in late 2018 as Head of Development.