Olivia Williams, Harry Lloyd join cast of Starz's 'Counterpart' series

BEVERLY HILLS , Calif., Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Olivia Williams and Harry Lloyd are to star opposite J.K. Simmons in the new Starz series Counterpart.

The cable network ordered two, 10-episode seasons of the show it described as an "espionage thriller with a metaphysical twist."

Morten Tyldum -- whose credits include The Imitation Game and Passengers -- will direct the first episode. The series was created and written by Justin Marks.

"Counterpart is the story of Howard Silk, a lowly cog in a bureaucratic agency, who discovers that the agency he works for is really guarding a crossing into a parallel dimension. Through Howard and his 'counterpart' on the other side, the show will navigate themes of identity, what ifs and lost love," a synopsis said.