The Rig: Martin Compston and Iain Glen thriller filmed in Edinburgh gets release date

Compston previously hailed The Rig as ‘one of the best jobs’ he has ever been on

The release date has been announced for Amazon Prime thriller The Rig, which was shot in Edinburgh and stars Line of Duty's Martin Compston.

Edinburgh-born actor Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) and Schitt’s Creek actress Emily Hampshire also play lead roles in the forthcoming series.

Directed by John Strickland, The Rig was filmed at First Stage Studios in Leith last year.

Martin Compston, left, and Iain Glen, right are part of an all-star cast who appear in Amazon's new supernatural thriller, The Rig.

Alongside the offical trailer, Amazon confirmed the release date, with the six-episode series set to debut on January 6, 2023.

When filming for The Rig wrapped up in Edinburgh, Greenock-born Compston hailed it as “one of the best jobs’ he has ever been on.

Compston took to social media to praise the team working on the production and said it “could be something special”.

The caption on Instagram read: “In 20 years of doing this #TheRig is absolutely up there as one of the best jobs I’ve ever been on. Can’t thank the maestro John Strickland, David MacPherson, Wild Mercury and @primevideouk enough for having me.

“Congrats to our top class crew ploughing on through the Covid protocols, laughing under the masks to deliver what could be something special.

“Don’t know where to begin with the cast, the most eclectic company of chancers I’ve had the pleasure of sharing this at times ridiculous journey with. Special shout out as ever to @tianna_flynn for holding the fort and letting me run around doing daft stuff.

“Can’t wait for you all to see it. I'm excited myself, going all out for the epic.”

The official synopsis for The Rig says it “sees the crew of the Kinloch Bravo oil rig stationed off the Scottish coast in the dangerous waters of the North Sea”.

It continues: “When they are due to be collected and return to the mainland, a mysterious and all-enveloping fog rolls through. The rig is hit by massive tremors, and they find themselves cut off from all communication with the shore and the outside world.

“As the crew endeavour to discover what’s driving this unknown force, a major accident forces them to ask questions about who they can really trust. Bonds are broken, allegiances formed and generational fault lines are exposed.

“The crew of the Bravo will be driven to the limits of both their loyalties and their endurance, leading to a confrontation with forces beyond their imagination.”

The series also stars Mark Addy (White House Farm), Rochenda Sandall (Doctor Who), Owen Teale (A Discovery of Witches), Richard Pepple (Bridgerton) and Mark Bonnar (Shetland).

The cast is also filled out with Calvin Demba (Professor T), Emun Elliott (The King's Man), Abraham Popoola (Andor), Stuart McQuarrie (Foundation), Molly Vevers (War Gamers), Cameron Fulton (Limbo) and Nikhil Parmar (Brassic).

Speaking at this year’s Edinburgh International TV Festival, Daisy Mount, Development Executive for UK Scripted Originals at Amazon Studios, said The Rig was “full of action and thrills", “is epic” and has "scale”.

She also noted that it is “talking about our relationship with the planet and the effect that we're having on it”.