This Is Not A Murder Mystery premieres in June only on Lionsgate Play

Step into the flamboyant, dangerous world of 1930s England, where art and murder collide in the most unexpected ways. This Is Not A Murder Mystery drops you into a glittering exhibition at a lavish country estate, where the world's most iconic Surrealist artists have gathered to celebrate their genius. But when a guest turns up dead after a wild night of excess, the celebration turns into a lockdown, and everyone, including history's most famous painters, becomes a suspect. Inspired by Magritte's legendary "This is not a pipe," the title's playful wink becomes a dark joke as bodies pile up and answers grow stranger by the episode.

Watch Pierre Gervais bring a young René Magritte to life alongside Iñaki Mur's deliciously theatrical Salvador Dalí, with Florence Hall as photographer Lee Miller and Frank Bourke as Man Ray rounding out this electric ensemble of artistic icons.

Stephen Tompkinson anchors the investigation as the bewildered DCI Thistlethwaite, a detective whose conventional methods crumble against the surrealists' world of riddles and illusion. With sharp wit, gorgeous 1930s production design, and a whodunit twist that plays with art history itself, this six-episode thriller is a must-watch for mystery lovers and culture buffs alike. Don't miss the premiere, June 26, exclusively on Lionsgate Play.

Talking about how personality, rather than physical resemblance, became the guiding principle behind casting the series' larger-than-life characters, Director Hans Herbots said,“In casting, I was guided above all by the actors’ personalities, that’s far more important and interesting than appearance. For the latter we had Kaatje Van Damme and Charlotte Willems, who did a fantastic job sculpting the outward look of our characters.

The hardest to cast was Salvador Dalí: with him you very quickly risk sliding into caricature, and I absolutely wanted to avoid that. With Iñaki Mur we found someone with the perfect blend of dramatic gravity and a touch of mannerism. For Georgette Berger, Magritte’s wife, Mathilde Warnier was the obvious choice. Ever since The Serpent, where she played Nadine, neighbor of serial killer Charles Sobhraj, I knew I wanted to work with her again, and she embodies Georgette’s inner struggle between the bourgeois and the libertine like no one else.”

Hans continued, “The search for Magritte was fascinating, and a unique chance to discover new talent. We wanted someone Belgian, French-speaking, and ideally with a link to Flanders. Someone with Magritte’s charisma, but also his slightly distant, observant quality. When our casting agent pointed us to Pierre, he happened to be in Switzerland, setting up a theater piece. He flew back for a weekend, and that’s when our conversations began. I think every actor, like me, wrestled with the legacy of the artists they portrayed. ‘How to make it their own, without losing sight of the real person, and create a dramatically compelling character?’ I believe we succeeded in making our characters flesh and blood—you see them grow through the episodes. Especially episodes 3 and 4 reveal their doubts, grief, and ambition."

Catch This Is Not A Murder Mystery streaming exclusively on Lionsgate Play from 26th June!