Keeley Hawes to star in ITV's true crime series Honour

Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes will play a role in a harrowing two-part series about the real life murder of Banaz Mahmod.

The new series is called Honour, and follows the tragic story of a young woman murdered by her own family in a ‘honour killing’ for falling in love with the wrong man. The series stars Keeley Hawes, and is directed by Richard Laxton. It is not yet known who else will be starring alongside her yet.

It's also the first project to come out of Hawes' new production company, Buddy Club Productions.

Keeley's role will be Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Goode, with the show following her passionate search to uncover what really happened to 20-year-old Banaz.

Caroline soon vows to get justice for Banaz, after discovering her colleagues missed multiple chances to prevent the tragedy from happening.

ITV has described this as “a promise that quickly became personally consuming. This tense and emotionally vivid drama brings Caroline’s long and unwavering quest to life.”

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Speaking about the project, Keeley Hawes said it was ‘a privilege’ to be involved.

“In a time where honour killings are still rife, it is critical to shine a light on such an important subject. Banaz Mahmod’s story, and DCI Goode’s subsequent investigation, is certainly one that needs to be told and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Honour killings are committed by family members against female relatives, in the belief that they have brought shame or dishonour upon the family. A common motive is that the relative has gone against their religion in some way.

In Banaz’s case, it was because she was in a relationship that her family members disapproved of.

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Gwyneth Hughes, writer of the new series, said, “Banaz Mahmod met her brutish death on the orders of her own father and uncle, which I find profoundly unsettling. That this story is ultimately so uplifting is down to the sheer heroism and dedication of the police officers who hunted down her killers.

“Caroline Goode and her team felt real love for this girl they’d never met. I found their unusual warmth and humanity deeply moving.”

Filming for Honour is expected to start in September, with the series receiving a 2020 release date.