The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door, a documentary examining the 2018 chemical weapon attack in the UK, directed by BAFTA-winner Dan Vernon (The Changing Times of Ike White, Nailbomber: Manhunt), will world premiere at CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen this March.
The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door examines the 2018 chemical weapon attack on British soil that sparked a global diplomatic crisis and exposed the hidden mechanics of modern state-sponsored espionage. It begins when former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia collapse on a park bench in the cathedral city of Salisbury. The film charts how this local incident exploded into an international showdown, revealing the escalating shadow conflict between Russia and the West.
A dramatic portrait of loyalty and betrayal, and a story that resonates amid ongoing global tensions, the documentary explores the collision of two men: Sergei Skripal and Vladimir Putin, the dictator determined to settle an old score.
Featuring rare, in-depth interviews with senior UK officials who led the response, including former Prime Minister Theresa May, Home Secretary Amber Rudd, and MI6 leadership, the film brings audiences inside a shadowy conflict normally kept from public view. The film also features testimony from first responders and the people of Salisbury, alongside exclusive scenes with investigative journalist Christo Grozev, whose groundbreaking investigative work was previously featured in the Academy Award-winning CNN Film Navalny.
Director Dan Vernon said, “I see this film as not only an opportunity to tell the dramatic assassination attempt and investigation but also the intertwined fates of two men that reflect a Russia torn between its past and its darkest ambitions. One of the most compelling characters in the film for me, is Salisbury itself – a sleepy medieval town, once best known for its stunning cathedral, that was suddenly thrust into the heart of an international crisis.”
The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door is a Passion Pictures Production for CNN Films in association with Propagate Content and West Buttermilk. Directed by Dan Vernon, the film was developed by and is produced by Alex Brisland. Executive producers are Kari Lia, Hamish Ferguson, David Moulton and Andrew Ruhemann for Passion Pictures; Amy Entelis and Roxanna Sherwood for CNN Films; Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens for Propagate Content; and James Packer for West Buttermilk.
Hamish Fergusson, Creative Director at Passion Pictures, said, “At Passion we’ve been wanting to tell the extraordinary story of Salisbury for years and now we have the opportunity to do so with unparalleled access and direct testimony from those who walked the corridors of power and worked in the shadows as events played out, bringing fresh perspective from the world these events so dramatically foreshadowed.”
Amy Entelis, Executive Producer at CNN Films, said, “The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door is an incisive, deeply reported film that captures the far-reaching consequences of a single, extraordinary act. This is exactly the urgent, character-driven storytelling that defines CNN Films, bringing audiences inside pivotal moments that continue to shape our world.”
Howard T. Owens, Executive Producer and Co-CEO of Propagate, said, “This film exposes the chilling reality of a state-sponsored attack carried out in plain sight, with consequences that continue to reverberate far beyond Salisbury. It delivers both the tension of a thriller and the insight of a definitive account, revealing the true stakes behind the headlines. Propagate is proud to help bring this powerful and globally significant story to audiences worldwide.”
The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door is the fourth collaboration between Passion Pictures and CNN Films, having previously collaborated on the BAFTA and PGA Award-winning Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024), Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story (2021), and Emmy-nominated Legion of Brothers (2017). CNN Films and Propagate recently partnered on the critically acclaimed I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, which premiered earlier this year.
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