Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci, Michael Gambon, Christopher Eccleston, Sofie Grabol, Richard Dormer, Jessica Raine, Luke Treadaway, Nicholas Pinnock and Johnny Harris will star in the 12 episode drama, which is centered on a mysterious death in the Arctic Circle and will be filmed in Iceland and the UK.

Fortitude is a place like nowhere else. Although surrounded by the savage beauty of the Arctic landscape, Fortitude is one of the safest towns on earth. There has never been a violent crime here. Until now. In such a close-knit community a murder touches everyone and the unsettling, mysterious horror of this crime threatens the future of the town itself.

The local Chief of Police, Sheriff Dan Anderssen (Dormer), has to investigate alongside DCI Morton (Tucci), the detective who has flown into Fortitude so fast that questions are being asked about how much he knew, and when. As these two cops try to make sense of the killing, each finds compelling reasons to mistrust and suspect the other.

The murder is a catastrophe for Hildur Odegard (Grabol), the town’s Governor. It threatens her ambitious plans to transform Fortitude from a mining town into a site for high-end tourism. And for Henry Tyson (Gambon), a wildlife photographer who only has weeks left to live, the murder is the catalyst to unearthing Fortitude’s darkest secret.

Also key to the story are Charlie Stoddart (Eccleston), an English scientist who heads up the Arctic Biology department at the Fortitude Arctic Research Centre, talented young scientist Vincent Rattrey (Treadaway), the newest member of Burke’s team, and Jules Sutter (Raine), who is married to Frank Sutter (Pinnock), Fortitude’s chief search and rescue pilot.

As the cold Arctic darkness gives way to endless summer nights, this apparently idyllic community struggles to make sense of the murderous horror that has been let loose in its heart.

Julia Barry, Director, Sky Atlantic HD added: “Our audience loves great, world-class story-telling and so Fortitude is a perfect fit for Sky Atlantic. We’re thrilled to welcome Stanley – in his first British television role – and the rest of this amazing group of actors to the channel.”

Created and written by Simon Donald, Fortitude will air exclusively on Sky Atlantic HD in late 2014.