The Vampire Diaries and Strange New Worlds star Paul Wesley is set to lead the new Ukrainian war series Unspoken, which won the top prize at 2023’s Series Mania event.
What is the story of Unspoken?
Described as a thriller, and consisting of six episodes, Unspoken is set against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It follows Wesley’s character, who is also named Paul, as the ex-soldier receives a desperate call from his wife in Kyiv on the day of the invasion. Now a taxi driver in Poland, Wesley’s character is in a race against time as he crosses borders to guide his family to safety. Over the phone, the lead character helps to guide his loved ones through horrifying circumstances with an immense sense of urgency as he stares down insurmountable odds.
The project is inspired by true events that occurred on the day of the invasion, as the protagonist chronicles the taxi driver’s path across a war-torn terrain while also dealing with his hopes for redemption.
According to Deadline, the series is created by the Polish writer Filip Syczyński, who wrote with Ukraine’s Zhanna Ozirna. Unspoken hails from Polish production company Match & Spark, in addition to the Los Angeles-based 5X Media which co-produces. It will be executive produced by Anna Rozalska and Tarik Hachoud for Match & Spark, Alon Shtruzman and Limor Gott Ronen for 5X Media, Dmytro Sukhanov for Toy Cinema, Natalia Libet for 2Brave Productions, and Saar Yogev for Electric Sheep.
Primarily an English-language series, with some Polish and Ukrainian, Unspoken is expected to enter production as of winter 2025. It will be directed by David Straiton, who has directed episodes of Magnum P.I., The Good Doctor, and MacGyver.
Unspoken marks the latest TV project for Wesley, who is known for playing Stefan Salvatore on the supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries. He also plays James T. Kirk on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which will be returning for Season 3 next year, with Season 4 already confirmed. Wesley’s movie credits include the recent thriller History of Evil, as well as Amira & Sam, Before I Disappear, and The Late Bloomer.
