Matthew Macfadyen to Play George Smiley in John le Carré Series in the Works From Ink Factory, Fifth Season

A television show inspired by the novels of John le Carré, featuring Matthew Macfadyen as the lead actor, is causing a stir in the industry.

It has been discovered that the drama “Legacy of Spies” is being developed at this time by producers The Ink Factory, and Fifth Season will handle distribution. Matt Macfadyen is set to play George Smiley, a recurring character in several of le Carré’s novels. Stephen Cornwell and Clarissa Ingram have penned the initial drafts for the prospective series, while Graham Yost (“Silo,” “Justified,” “Slow Horses”) has joined as an executive producer.

The project is depicted as a blend of several John le Carré novels such as “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” and “The Honorable Schoolboy, among others, plus some previously unreleased material.

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This project is portrayed as a mix of multiple works by John le Carré, including “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” and “The Honorable Schoolboy, alongside other books and unpublished pieces.

Based on information from someone familiar with the situation, the project has been presented to potential buyers in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and there are several purchase proposals currently being considered.

If the show progresses, Macfadyen will take over as the actor embodying the iconic spymaster Smiley onscreen, following in the footsteps of actors such as Gary Oldman, Rupert Davies, Alec Guinness, and Denholm Elliott who have portrayed this character across various films and series.

Most recently, Macfadyen has secured another TV role. After his critically acclaimed performance in the popular HBO series “Succession,” which earned him two Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award, he is now set to appear in the Netflix period drama “Death by Lightning” and the Peacock series “The Miniature Wife.” He has also made notable appearances in films such as “Pride and Prejudice” (2005), “Death at a Funeral,” the upcoming “Deadpool 3,” and the Amazon film “Holland, Michigan.

He is repped by UTA, Hamilton Hodell, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.

2020 saw Fifth Season (formerly known as Endeavor Content) acquiring a partial ownership in The Ink Factory. Established by John le Carré’s sons, Stephen and Simon Cornwell, The Ink Factory has a history of bringing various adaptations of the author’s works to life. One such adaptation is “The Night Manager,” a television series that starred Tom Hiddleston and premiered in 2016. This show was met with critical acclaim, garnering two Emmys and three Golden Globes, including an award for best actor (Hiddleston).

2024 saw the announcement that BBC and Amazon Prime Video had secured two additional seasons of the show, with Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as Jonathan Pine. The production company was also responsible for creating the series “The Little Drummer Girl” and the movie “A Most Wanted Man, both adaptations of John le Carré novels.

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2025-03-13 20:16