We are thrilled that filming is now underway on 'Legacy of Spies', an eight-part espionage thriller coming to the BBC and MGM+ that will see John le Carré's most famous character, George Smiley, return to the small screen.
Adapted from John le Carré's global bestseller, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and drawing from his 2017 novel A Legacy of Spies, the series has been written by Stephen Cornwell, John le Carré's son (A Most Wanted Man, Message from the King) and Clarissa Ingram.
A terrific cast has been announced, including Matthew Macfadyen playing the role of George Smiley, Charlie Hunnam as Alec Leamas, Daniel Brühl as Josef Fiedler, Devrim Lingnau Islamoglu as Doris Quinz to name a few. More recently announced is Agnes O'Casey, (who reprises her role from the stage adaptation of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold which has just reached the end of its run at the Soho Place Theatre, London), as Liz Gold, as well as Dan Stevens (Bill Haydon), Felix Kammerer (Hans-Dieter Mundt) and Jake Dunn (Peter Guillam), among many others.
A synopsis for Legacy of Spies reads, 'When Alec Leamas, a highly experienced Circus field operative, recruits Doris Quinz, a young and dynamic East German woman, to smuggle high-value Stasi documents into the West, it sets in motion a series of events that threaten to explode in the crucible of Cold War Berlin. Pursuing Leamas and Doris are Josef Fiedler and Hans-Dieter Mundt, two Stasi operatives whose ferocious desire to shut down the intelligence leak is matched only by their internal rivalry and an iron will to outmatch each other. Pulled into the action is Liz Gold, an idealistic young woman whose courage and conviction force Leamas to navigate a world where loyalties fracture and betrayal is inevitable. Behind the scenes, the brilliant and taciturn spymaster George Smiley orchestrates operations while the elusive Soviet mastermind Karla looms in the shadows, setting the stage for a conflict that will last a generation. Personal lives become collateral in a ruthless intelligence war, and as the lines between duty and love begin to blur, every emotion becomes a weapon.'
Executive Producer and lead director Michael Lennox (Say Nothing, Crystal Lake), said:
'Working with Stephen to realise this extraordinary story is a privilege. Le Carré's work defined the espionage genre but also disrupted it, turned it on its head. His work was daring, stripped back and lived in the present, revealing the profoundly human, life-and-death stakes behind the intrigue. Legacy of Spies bottles that same spirit, a story about individuals making impossible choices at a pivotal moment in history. I couldn't be more excited to see this brought to life by such a talented cast, all the while making this world feel immediate, urgent and profoundly relevant to contemporary audiences.'
And Matthew Macfadyen said:
'This is a timeless, and very timely, story about espionage, power and morality. I am hugely thrilled and not a little daunted to be playing George Smiley - this quiet, intelligent and deeply private man. And delighted to be stepping into le Carré's world in the company of such talented actors and producers.'
'Legacy of Spies' is produced by The Ink Factory (The Night Manager, The Pigeon Tunnel) in co-production with Amusement Park Film and in association with 127 Wall Productions and Paramount Television Studios.
If you'd like to read or refresh your memories on the original novels before the television series hits our screens, you can order copies here: