Star Wars actor John Boyega is set to star in a new Steve McQueen directed drama, Small Axe.

• Read more: How to support Black Lives Matter and anti-racist organisations if you can’t protest

The drama, which is airing on the BBC and Amazon later this year, has now shared a first-look photo of Boyega in character. The image comes almost five years after the project was first announced.

As reported on Digital Spy, the mini-series will tell “five stories from within London’s West Indian community between the 1960s and 1980s.”

Boyega will appear in the episode ‘Red, White and Blue’ and will play real-life Metropolitan Police officer Leroy Logan who received an MBE in 2001 for his role in developing anti-racist policies for the police over a 30-year career.

You can see an image of Boyega in character below:

Never in my wildest dreams would I’ve thought my life story would get to the attention of film director Steve McQueen, starred by John Boyega & part of the @bbctvcentre Small Axe series. You couldn’t make this up & I’ve had to pinch myself. #ArtFollowsLifehttps://t.co/Xm9cYh5H7O pic.twitter.com/IHd204zBZm

— Leroy Logan MBE (@LeroyLogan999) August 4, 2020

Speaking about the upcoming drama, Logan wrote on Twitter today (August 4): “Never in my wildest dreams would I’ve thought my life story would get to the attention of film director Steve McQueen, starred by John Boyega & part of the @bbctvcentre Small Axe series.

“You couldn’t make this up & I’ve had to pinch myself.”

Starring alongside Boyega in the episode, according to Deadline, is Steve Toussaint, Tyrone Huntley, Nathan Vidal and Jaden Oshenye.

Back in June, McQueen criticised the racism in the UK film and TV industries, calling it “shameful”. The 12 Years A Slave director said the race imbalance in the industries was “blindingly, obviously wrong”.

Writing in The Observer, McQueen called for the fast-tracking of BAME trainees within the film and television industries.

“Yes, I’m fed up,” McQueen wrote. “I don’t want to hear anyone say, ‘Oh yes, it’s terrible’ ever again. I’ve heard it a thousand times. They all agree, but nothing gets done. What I want is to see change, not hear excuses.

He added: “It’s just not healthy. It’s wrong. And yet, many people in the industry go along with it as if it is normal. It’s not normal. It is anything but normal. It’s blindingly, obviously wrong. It’s blatant racism. Fact. I grew up with it.”

McQueen’s essay came after Boyega addressed a huge crowd at a Black Lives Matter protest in central London in June.