'War' Series Tackles Billionaire Divorce Wars, Sienna Miller and Dominic West Discuss the Impact of Wealth

The latest legal drama series titled War will premiere on Sky Atlantic on 2 October, featuring Sienna Miller and Dominic West as a wealthy celebrity couple caught in an intrigue-filled divorce. Both admit the roles gave them a new perspective on how extreme amounts of money can damage human relationships.

In an exclusive interview, West revealed that the most disturbing scene in the series is when his character, Morgan Henderson, challenges someone to undress for money. "That's probably the thrill billionaires get: people will do anything for money," he said. He even weighed up what price would be right for himself, and Miller joked that West would do it "for a laugh", before West countered, "No, I want three figures. A hundred pounds."

The eight-episode series is not just an ordinary divorce drama. Miller plays Carla Duval, a narcissistic film star demanding half the fortune of her ex-husband, who is suspected of having an affair. West plays Morgan, a tech entrepreneur who appears kind-hearted but hides a cruel side. Both admit they struggled to find the human side of their respective characters. Miller even decided to enjoy Carla's unpleasant side, something that contrasts with her own tendency to please others.

Creator George Kay revealed that the idea for the series came from a conversation he overheard in an airport lounge queue. A woman shouted "Yes!" into her phone because her husband had finally signed the divorce papers after four years of fighting. Kay then researched high-value divorces and found plenty of drama: prenuptial agreements, affairs, property. He was also inspired by 1990s legal series such as Ally McBeal and The Good Wife, as well as The West Wing for its workplace feel.

Although not directly based on a real case, War highlights how a public divorce can turn private life into a spectacle. Miller and West themselves have experience with media scrutiny. West faced intense scrutiny over his marriage in 2020, while Miller was a victim of phone hacking by News of the World and testified in the Leveson inquiry.

"I imagine that much money is very corrosive. I've been close to people with extraordinary wealth, and I didn't see them being happier. It's a disgusting amount of money," Miller said.

West added that if someone has hundreds of billions of dollars and does not solve the climate crisis, "something has gone very wrong." Both agreed that the series made them even more determined to avoid divorce. West, who has been married since 2010, said, "Of course! That's the main lesson." Miller, who is engaged to actor Oli Green, said marriage in divorce becomes a contested commodity, and the more bitter it gets, the more money lawyers make.

For Indonesian viewers, War offers a mirror on how celebrity culture and consumerism can affect the institution of marriage. Although the legal and cultural context is different, the phenomenon of celebrity divorces becoming public consumption also often occurs in the country. The series can be a critical reflection on the boundary between privacy and spectacle, and how money can change the dynamics of a relationship.

With a second season already in preparation, War seems set to keep digging into the dark side of wealth and justice. Will viewers see even more of the war between love and hate behind the courtroom doors? We await its release next month.