STORM CLOUDS OVER CORNWALL: HARDY AND GRAHAM FACE OFF AS ‘TABOO’ FILMING HEATS UP

CORNWALL — The rugged, salt-sprayed cliffs of the Cornish coast have become the latest battleground for Steven Knight’s much-anticipated period epic, Taboo. As production ramps up on the eight-episode prestige drama, onlookers and locals have been treated to a glimpse of the gritty, mud-caked reality of 1814 London, transposed to the edges of the South West.

Spotted amidst the fog and cinematic gloom this week was series lead and co-creator Tom Hardy, looking every bit the brooding, vengeful James Keziah Delaney. However, the real stir on set came with the arrival of heavy-hitter Stephen Graham. The Boardwalk Empire and Line of Duty star was seen filming intense sequences alongside Hardy, looking decidedly “worse for wear” in character—sporting the grime and weathered attire that has become the visual hallmark of Knight’s dark historical vision.

A Legacy Written in Blood

For those uninitiated, Taboo is far from your standard Regency-era costume drama. Set against the backdrop of a decaying, industrializing London, the story follows Delaney, a man long presumed dead, who returns from a ten-year odyssey in Africa. He arrives just in time to bury his father, only to realize he has inherited a “mysterious legacy”—a strategic piece of land known as Nootka Sound.

This inheritance isn’t just dirt and rock; it is a catalyst for international conflict. Delaney finds himself at the center of a lethal chess match between the British Crown and the behemoth of 19th-century commerce: The East India Company.

The Knight-Hardy Powerhouse

The series marks another high-profile collaboration between Tom Hardy and writer Steven Knight, the mastermind behind the global phenomenon Peaky Blinders. While Peaky explored the razor-edged streets of post-WWI Birmingham, Taboo dives deeper into a surreal, visceral past where the line between civilization and savagery is razor-thin.

Insiders suggest that the dynamic between Hardy and Graham on set has been “electrifying.” Graham, known for his ability to inhabit volatile, complex characters, appears to be playing a pivotal figure within London’s criminal underbelly—an ally or antagonist to Delaney’s crusade remains to be seen, but their shared scenes are already being described as a “masterclass in tension.”

A Face-Off with Giants

The core of the drama lies in Delaney’s refusal to sell his inheritance. By holding onto Nootka Sound, he effectively declares war on the East India Company, portrayed here not just as a merchant group, but as a sovereign, sinister superpower.

“James Delaney is a man transformed by his experiences in Africa,” a production source noted. “He isn’t just back for his father’s money; he’s back for a reckoning. The East India Company represents everything he despises, and he is prepared to use every dark art he learned abroad to dismantle them.”

The Cornish coastline provides the perfect atmospheric double for the treacherous waters and clandestine meetings that define Delaney’s world. Between the pyrotechnics, the period-accurate shipping vessels, and the sheer physical presence of Hardy—often seen prowling the set in a signature silk top hat and heavy overcoat—the scale of the production is immense.

What to Expect

Viewers should prepare for a slow-burn, atmospheric thriller that leans heavily into the “dark” side of history. With Ridley Scott’s Scott Free London and Hardy’s own Hardy Son & Baker producing, the visual fidelity is expected to be cinematic.

As filming continues through the month, the buzz surrounding Taboo only grows. If the chemistry between Hardy and the “worse-for-wear” Graham is any indication, this series will be the definitive successor to the gritty crown currently held by the Shelby clan.