EXCLUSIVE: A trio of British actors is leading The Salvation, an Audible sci-fi podcast drama. Ariyon Bakare (His Dark Materials, Good Omens), Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones, Vigil) and Toby Jones (The Hunger Games, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) will star in the time-travel series, which is from musical artist and writer Justin Lockey.

The Salvation drops on Audible on Thursday (October 5), directed by Boz Temple-Morris and recorded in London. A.K. Benedict and Jeffrey Aidoo have provided additional writing on the eight-part series, which comes from audio-first entertainment company Fresh Produce Media and London-based producer Free Turn Entertainment.

The story follows David Miller (Bakare), a war-scarred veteran grappling with PTSD, who discovers his traumatic flashbacks are gateways to time travel. Recruited by the shadowy Fallen Arrow, he undergoes a surreal transformation into a time agent, wielding a unique power triggered by ‘The Lullaby.’ He is told to apprehend a rogue soldier wreaking havoc throughout history, with his perilous mission taking to pivotal moments in history such as the Great War and the Cold War. Navigating a secret war for time-altering technology, Miller has to safeguard his newfound abilities from rival factions.

The producers bill the series as a “unique listening experience that blurs the boundaries of time,” touches on themes from race to mental health and “juxtaposes elements of traditional espionage and time-bending concepts with intense action sequences.”

“Our vision for The Salvation was to craft an utterly immersive auditory journey for our audience,” said Free Turn CEO and co-founder Jon Hamm. “It mirrors our ambition of producing a blockbuster Hollywood feature film within the realm of audio. With a stellar cast, top-tier audio design, and an original score, we’ve assembled all the essential elements to transport our listeners into the thrilling worlds of time travel and espionage. From the humble huts of Bletchley in 1945 to the bustling streets of 1970s Berlin, the harrowing battlefields of France in 1918 to the terrifying scenes of today’s modern warfare, we invite our audience to step into these vividly realized worlds.”

Colin Moore, Chief Content Officer for Fresh Produce Media, added: “The Salvation is a great example of our approach to storytelling in audio, highlighting the immense talents of our voice actors to really grip the audience and transport them into the action – in this case, a sci-fi adventure story that will resonate in the US, UK, and beyond.”

Writer Lockey said the series was “born from a lifelong fascination with the perception of time and history, depending on where you experience it from.”

Fresh Produce’s podcasts include Audible originals The Big Lie, a drama starring Mad Men actor Jon Hamm about the only blacklisted movie in the U.S.; Punk in Translation, about the role of Latin musicians in the development of punk music; and Broadway Revival, a doc series about how the pandemic-enforced Broadway shutdown impacted lives and the subsequent reopening of productions there and across the country.

Free Turn, launched by UK producer-directors Jon and Nick Hamm in 2020, has made shows such as robot doc Cyborg Society. Its founders are behind the likes of Gigi & Nate, Netflix’s White Lies and Driven.

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