Production’s begun on the first-ever television adaptation of John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and A Legacy of Spies. Emmy winner Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) and Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story) lead the cast of BBC and MGM+’s Legacy of Spies, with Macfadyen playing George Smiley and Hunnam as Alec Leamas.
The series also stars Daniel Brühl as Josef Fiedler, Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu as Doris Quinz, Agnes O’Casey as Liz Gold, Felix Kammerer as Hans-Dieter Mundt, Dan Stevens as Bill Haydon, Jake Dunn as Peter Guillam, and Safia Oakley-Green as Molly Gibson. Ariyon Bakare plays Cy Aflon, Saskia Rosendahl is Lotte Gamp, Patrick Güldenberg is Dr. Karl Riemeck, and Volker Bruch is Emmanuel Rapp.
MGM+ released the following synopsis:
“When Alec Leamas (Hunnam), a highly experienced Circus field operative, recruits Doris Quinz (Lingau Islamoğlu), 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 (Brühl) and Hans-Dieter Mundt (Kammerer), 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 (O’Casey), 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 (Macfadyen) orchestrates operations while the elusive Soviet mastermind Karla looms in the shadows, setting the stage for a conflict that will define 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.”
Commenting on his starring role, 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.”
The eight-episode series is written by Stephen Cornwell (Message from the King) and Clarisa Ingram, who serve as co-showrunners. Michael Lennox is the lead director and executive producer.
“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. Leamas isn’t a traditional hero. He is worn down by the work, shaped and eroded by it over time, which is what makes him so compelling,” stated Hunnam. “Le Carré explored the personal toll of a life in espionage and what happens when the line between professional duty and something more personal begins to blur. It’s the humanity at the heart of this story that makes it so powerful and resonant.”
Stephen Cornwell, Graham Yost, Simon Cornwell, Michele Wolkoff, Malte Grunert, Chris Rice, Matthew Macfadyen, Charlie Hunnam, Joe Tsai, Susanne Bier, and Mike Lesslie are also executive producers. Additional executive producers include Nick Cornwell for the John le Carré estate and Gaynor Holmes and Nick Lambon for BBC.
Legacy of Spies 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 the BBC and MGM+.
