The BBC and MGM+ have announced a stack of new casting for ‘Legacy Of Spies‘, the upcoming John le Carré espionage thriller led by Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) as George Smiley and Charlie Hunnam (Sons Of Anarchy) as Alec Leamas.
The eight-part drama comes from The Ink Factory and adapts le Carré’s global bestseller The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, while also drawing on material from his 2017 novel A Legacy of Spies. It marks George Smiley’s long-awaited return to television, with the story bringing together some of the most iconic figures from le Carré’s shadowy world of Cold War intelligence.
Joining the cast are Hugh Laurie (The Night Manager, House) as Control, the fiendish and commanding head of The Circus, and Joe Alwyn (The Brutalist, The Favourite) as Jim Prideaux, a charismatic Circus veteran and roguish scalp hunter whose off-book exploits in the field ruffle a few feathers back in London.
Also signing the Official Secrets Act are Anjana Vasan (We Are Lady Parts, Black Mirror: Demon 79) as Connie Sachs, The Circus’ brilliantly sharp chief Moscow-gazer and queen of Research, Charlotte Ritchie (You, Ghosts) as Ann Smiley, George’s quick-witted and emotionally complex wife, and Lee Ross (Andor, White Gold) as Inspector Oliver Mendel, the tenacious ex-copper whose instincts and unswerving integrity make him one of Smiley’s most unlikely and most trusted friends.
Adam Hugill (Sherwood, Dear England) joins as Fawn, an extremely dangerous Circus babysitter seconded to Smiley’s side as protector. Completing the senior ranks of The Circus are James McArdle (Mare of Easttown, Playing Nice) as Percy Alleline, John Dagleish (Sexy Beast, 3 Body Problem) as Roy Bland, and Goran Bogdan (The Last Panthers, Father) as Toby Esterhase.
They join the previously announced cast of Daniel Brühl (The Alienist, All Quiet on the Western Front) as Josef Fiedler, Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu (The Empress) as Doris Quinz, Agnes O’Casey (Ridley Road) as Liz Gold, Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front) as Hans-Dieter Mundt, Dan Stevens (Legion, Downton Abbey) as Bill Haydon, Jake Dunn (Renegade Nell) as Peter Guillam, Safia Oakley-Green (Sherwood) as Molly Gibson, Ariyon Bakare (His Dark Materials) as Cy Aflon, Patrick Güldenberg (The Lives of Others) as Dr Karl Riemick, Volker Bruch (Babylon Berlin) as Emmanuel Rapp, and Saskia Rosendahl (Never Look Away) as Lotte Gamp.
Behind the camera, Academy Award nominee and Golden Bear winner Claudia Llosa (The Milk of Sorrow) has joined the series as second director, working alongside lead director and executive producer Michael Lennox.
Stephen and Simon Cornwell say: “We are delighted to have Academy Award nominee and Golden Bear winner Claudia Llosa bring her vision and cinematic sensibility to Legacy. Her joining Michael on directorial duties has only compounded what is shaping up to be a truly remarkable production.
“To be reunited with Hugh Laurie and Joe Alwyn as Control and Prideaux is a remarkable privilege as we build out the world of the Circus. It’s wonderful to welcome Hugh into a new dimension of the le Carré universe alongside his brilliant portrayal of Richard Roper in The Night Manager, and we’re thrilled that Joe, who we first worked with on Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, is now joining us in this momentous undertaking as well.
“There is something profound about watching our father’s universe brought to life by actors of this calibre, and it is extraordinary seeing the ensemble take flight. It’s everything we could have hoped for and more.”
Claudia Llosa, second block director, adds: “Stepping into a world as rich and complex as le Carré’s is a hugely exciting prospect. All of our extraordinary cast and crew are bringing this universe to life in ways that continually delight me. Every scene brings something new, deeper, with both intimacy and scale. Working alongside Stephen and the rest of team, I’m already certain that we’re making something very special.”
Legacy Of Spies is showrun and written by Stephen Cornwell, alongside Clarissa Ingram. The series is produced by The Ink Factory, in co-production with Amusement Park Film and in association with 127 Wall Productions and Paramount Television Studios, for BBC iPlayer, BBC One, and MGM+.
The executive producers are Stephen Cornwell, who also serves as showrunner, Graham Yost, Simon Cornwell, Michele Wolkoff, Malte Grunert, Chris Rice, Matthew Macfadyen, Charlie Hunnam, Michael Lennox and Joe Tsai. Susanne Bier and Mike Lesslie also executive produce. The executive producers for the BBC are Gaynor Holmes and Nick Lambon, with Nick Cornwell executive producing for the John le Carré estate. Sam Costin and Clarissa Ingram serve as co-executive producers, with Nancy Bray producing for The Ink Factory. Fifth Season is handling global sales.
‘Legacy Of Spies‘ does not yet have a premiere date but will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK, and on MGM+ in the US. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
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