BAFTA and Emmy award-winning actor Sir Kenneth Branagh will portray British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a new Sky TV series about the his handling of the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on the UK, Sky announced on Saturday.

The five-episode series, entitled "This Sceptred Isle," will chart "the events surrounding the UK Prime Minister, the government, and the country in the face of the first wave of the global pandemic," the British media conglomerate said in a Saturday statement.

According to Sky, the drama, which depicts the story of "some of the most devastating events" to ever hit the country and of a prime minister leading in these unprecedented times, will trace "the impact on Britain from this once-in-a-generation crisis, and the response of scientists, nurses, and doctors as they worked tirelessly to try and contain the virus."

The show, based on first-hand testimony of people from all walks of life, will be directed and co-written by Michael Winterbottom, who is acclaimed for Golden Bear-winning docudrama "In This World," comedy film "A Cock and Bull Story" and popular TV series such as "The Trip."

Noting that the new series will weave together numerous true stories, the veteran filmmaker said he would focus on "the efforts of scientists, doctors, care home workers and policy makers to protect us from the virus."

Northern Irish-born actor Branagh, who has shown his talents and skills in classic roles in Shakespearean dramas and Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express," has caught attention again as he prepares to tackle the role of British PM.

The 60-year-old most recently starred in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi epic "Tenet" as a Russian villain.

The UK is now in its third national lockdown. The country has recorded more than 3.5 million COVID-19 infections – the fifth highest in the world – and nearly 96,000 deaths so far.

The pandemic-themed drama will commence shooting in early 2021 and is expected to premiere on Sky Atlantic in fall 2022.