The Night Manager star Hugh Laurie has joined the cast of the BBC’s highly anticipated spy thriller, Legacy of Spies.
Adapted from John le Carré’s iconic literary universe – specifically his 1963 masterpiece The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and the 2017 novel A Legacy of Spies – the series centers on master spy George Smiley. Succession star Matthew Macfadyen is set to lead the stellar cast as Smiley, though Hugh’s exact role is still under wraps (according to Deadline).
© BBC/Ink Factory/Des WillieI’m seriously excited for this one – and for good reason. Not only is the source material incredibly compelling, but le Carré’s world has a track record of brilliant adaptations like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Night Manager. Plus, this new project comes from the same production team behind The Night Manager, while Le Carré’s son Stephen Cornwell serves as showrunner and Michael Lennox (Derry Girls, Say Nothing) directs.
Keep reading to find out everything we know so far.
What is Legacy of Spies about?
The Cold-War set series follows George Smiley and is billed as a tale of “strategy, loyalty, love and betrayal.”
The BBC synopsis reads: “In the shadow of the newly-erected Berlin Wall, Alec Leamas watches his last agent shot dead by East German sentries.
© Getty“For Leamas, a senior British intelligence officer in Berlin, the Cold War is over. As he faces the prospect of retirement or worse – a desk job – Control offers him a unique opportunity for revenge.
“Assuming the guise of an embittered and dissolute ex-agent, Leamas is set up to trap Mundt, the deputy director of the East German Intelligence Service, with himself as the bait. In the background is George Smiley, ready to make the game play out just as Control wants.”
Who stars in Legacy of Spies?
Matthew Macfadyen stars as George Smiley, alongside Charlie Hunnam as maverick field operative Alec Leamas.
Matthew hailed the project as “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,” he said in a statement. “And delighted to be stepping into le Carré’s world in the company of such talented actors and producers.”
Meanwhile, Charlie added: “I’m so excited to be part of this incredible project, and to be working alongside Matthew Macfadyen and such an exceptional cast, as well as having the opportunity to play such an iconic character.”
© Getty ImagesPreviously announced cast members include Daniel Brühl (All Quiet on the Western Front, Rush) as Josef Fiedler, a methodical Stasi intelligence strategist and Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu (The Empress) as Doris Quinz, a young and dynamic East German woman who delivers vital intelligence from the heart of the East German operation.
Other cast members include Agnes O’Casey (Black Doves, Lies We Tell) as Liz Gold, an idealistic young woman at the heart of the story and Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front, Frankenstein) as Hans-Dieter Mundt, a brutal, unpredictable and psychotically deadly Stasi enforcer.
Meanwhile, Dan Stevens (Zero Day, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire) plays Bill Haydon a brilliant and enigmatic Circus insider. He stars alongside Jake Dunn (What It Feels Like for a Girl, Renegade Nell) as Peter Guillam, Smiley’s trusted lieutenant, and Safia Oakley-Green (The Bluff, Out of the Darkness) as Molly Gibson, an energetic new intelligence officer and one of Leamas’ most trusted deputies.
© Getty Images for BAFTAAriyon Bakare (Mr Loverman, His Dark Materials), Saskia Rosendahl (Fabian – Going to the Dogs), Patrick Güldenberg (Die Ibiza Affäre,Tatort: Donuts) and Volker Bruch (Babylon Berlin, Generation War) also star.
When will Legacy of Spies air?
A release date has yet to be revealed, although it’s been reported that filming is now underway. The series will premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK, and on MGM+ in the United States.
