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CNN to Air Dan Vernon's 'The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door' on July 12
CNN will premiere the feature‑length documentary The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door on Sunday, July 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The film will first appear on the CNN app the following day.
The documentary follows the 2018 incident in which former Russian military officer and double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were exposed to the Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England. The attack prompted the British government to accuse Russia of orchestrating an assassination attempt and led to the expulsion of 153 Russian diplomats worldwide.
Produced by Passion Pictures in partnership with CNN Films, Propagate Content and West Buttermilk, the film gathers first‑hand testimony from senior intelligence officials, counter‑terrorism leaders, journalists and residents whose lives were altered by the event. Interviews include former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, former Home Secretary Amber Rudd, former MI6 chiefs Richard Dearlove and John Sawers, former National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill, former Head of Counter‑Terrorism Policing Neil Basu and an exclusive conversation with Charlie Rowley, the partner of Dawn Sturgess who died after exposure to the agent.
Vernon said the documentary “is ultimately about people, from the two men whose intertwined fates reveal a Russia wrestling with its past and future, to the residents of Salisbury, a cathedral city unexpectedly thrust onto the global stage.” Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent for CNN Originals, added that the film “captures both the human impact felt on the streets of Salisbury and the global consequences that followed.”
Executive producer Hamish Fergusson of Passion Pictures highlighted the unprecedented access the team gained: “The direct testimony from those at the heart of the response sheds new light on a pivotal moment that foreshadowed the geopolitical tensions shaping our world today.” Co‑CEO Howard T. Owen of Propagate Content described the story as a collision of worlds, noting that a Kremlin assassination plot unfolded on the streets of an ordinary English town and reached the highest levels of government.
The documentary was first shown at the CPH:DOX Documentary Film Festival in Copenhagen. It will have its North American premiere at the DC/DOX Film Festival and its UK premiere at Sheffield DocFest, which begins today.
This marks the fourth collaboration between Passion Pictures and CNN Films. Earlier projects include Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024), Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story (2021) and the Emmy‑nominated Legion of Brothers (2017). CNN Films and Propagate recently partnered on I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, which premiered earlier this year and is available on CNN and HBO Max.
The film’s production team includes director Dan Vernon, producer Alex Bristland, and executive producers Kari Lia, David Moulton, Andrew Ruhemann (Passion), Amy Entelis, Roxanna Sherwood (CNN), Ben Silverman and Howard Owen (Propagate) and James Packer (West Buttermilk). The documentary’s release follows the broader public interest in the Salisbury incident, which involved the use of a Novichok nerve agent, a Soviet‑era chemical weapon that was added to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ list of controlled substances in 2019.
The 2018 attack, which also led to the death of Dawn Sturgess in Amesbury after exposure to the same agent, prompted a public inquiry into the circumstances of her death. The incident prompted the UK to expel Russian diplomats and was mirrored by similar actions from 28 other countries.
CNN’s trailer, released in June, showcases the film’s focus on the human stories behind the geopolitical fallout. The documentary is positioned to provide viewers with a detailed account of the chain of events, the investigative process, and the lasting impact on the Salisbury community.
In summary, The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door will air on CNN on July 12, offering a comprehensive look at a pivotal moment in contemporary international relations. The film’s premiere at multiple documentary festivals underscores its relevance to audiences interested in political intrigue, chemical weapons, and the human cost of espionage.
The documentary follows the 2018 incident in which former Russian military officer and double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were exposed to the Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England. The attack prompted the British government to accuse Russia of orchestrating an assassination attempt and led to the expulsion of 153 Russian diplomats worldwide.
Produced by Passion Pictures in partnership with CNN Films, Propagate Content and West Buttermilk, the film gathers first‑hand testimony from senior intelligence officials, counter‑terrorism leaders, journalists and residents whose lives were altered by the event. Interviews include former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, former Home Secretary Amber Rudd, former MI6 chiefs Richard Dearlove and John Sawers, former National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill, former Head of Counter‑Terrorism Policing Neil Basu and an exclusive conversation with Charlie Rowley, the partner of Dawn Sturgess who died after exposure to the agent.
Vernon said the documentary “is ultimately about people, from the two men whose intertwined fates reveal a Russia wrestling with its past and future, to the residents of Salisbury, a cathedral city unexpectedly thrust onto the global stage.” Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent for CNN Originals, added that the film “captures both the human impact felt on the streets of Salisbury and the global consequences that followed.”
Executive producer Hamish Fergusson of Passion Pictures highlighted the unprecedented access the team gained: “The direct testimony from those at the heart of the response sheds new light on a pivotal moment that foreshadowed the geopolitical tensions shaping our world today.” Co‑CEO Howard T. Owen of Propagate Content described the story as a collision of worlds, noting that a Kremlin assassination plot unfolded on the streets of an ordinary English town and reached the highest levels of government.
The documentary was first shown at the CPH:DOX Documentary Film Festival in Copenhagen. It will have its North American premiere at the DC/DOX Film Festival and its UK premiere at Sheffield DocFest, which begins today.
This marks the fourth collaboration between Passion Pictures and CNN Films. Earlier projects include Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024), Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story (2021) and the Emmy‑nominated Legion of Brothers (2017). CNN Films and Propagate recently partnered on I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, which premiered earlier this year and is available on CNN and HBO Max.
The film’s production team includes director Dan Vernon, producer Alex Bristland, and executive producers Kari Lia, David Moulton, Andrew Ruhemann (Passion), Amy Entelis, Roxanna Sherwood (CNN), Ben Silverman and Howard Owen (Propagate) and James Packer (West Buttermilk). The documentary’s release follows the broader public interest in the Salisbury incident, which involved the use of a Novichok nerve agent, a Soviet‑era chemical weapon that was added to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ list of controlled substances in 2019.
The 2018 attack, which also led to the death of Dawn Sturgess in Amesbury after exposure to the same agent, prompted a public inquiry into the circumstances of her death. The incident prompted the UK to expel Russian diplomats and was mirrored by similar actions from 28 other countries.
CNN’s trailer, released in June, showcases the film’s focus on the human stories behind the geopolitical fallout. The documentary is positioned to provide viewers with a detailed account of the chain of events, the investigative process, and the lasting impact on the Salisbury community.
In summary, The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door will air on CNN on July 12, offering a comprehensive look at a pivotal moment in contemporary international relations. The film’s premiere at multiple documentary festivals underscores its relevance to audiences interested in political intrigue, chemical weapons, and the human cost of espionage.
