Humans writer Joe Barton has turned his attention to the crime genre, creating a new series for the BBC and Netflix called Giri/Haji, which in English means Duty/Shame.

The eight-part series was announced last year, and just yesterday (July 23) there's been some movement. Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire, Trainspotting) is now attached to the project, according to Deadline, and is set to play Sarah, a London-based policewoman and forensics specialist.

The story follows middle-aged Tokyo detective Kenzo, who travels to London in search of his younger brother, Yuto. His wayward sibling was thought to be dead, but it turns out he may just be in hiding. And for good reason. Yuto is wanted for killing a Japanese businessman while in the U.K.

Macdonald's character teams up with Kenzo to help with the search for his brother, who is believed to be wrapped up with the Yakuza (Japanese mob).

The official BBC description provides some insight into Kenzo's mindset, saying, "Torn between two cities, and an increasingly conflicted sense of self, Kezo (sic) wrestles with questions of guilt, duty, love and shame."

The synopsis also points out that the change of locations, and, ultimately, cultures, creates a looming question: "How do we live with our actions when the prisms they’re viewed through can seem to change so drastically depending on where we are or who we talk to?"

According to BBC Media Centre, the series will take place in both England and Japan, cutting "between London and Tokyo, exploring the butterfly effect between the two cities."

Macdonald is the first actor to line up a lead role, and we're still waiting to hear who will play her Japanese counterpart and his missing brother. If this does work out as suggested, Macdonald will reunite with her The Child in Time director Julian Farino.

Giri/Haji will air on BBC One in the U.K. and stream via Netflix in the U.S. in 2019.

Are you into twisty crime dramas with a lot of moving parts?