AMC Teams With BBC For Limited Series Based On John le Carré Novel ‘The Spy Who Came in From the Cold’ – TCA
The Night Manager sequel is not happening (at least for now), so AMC is going for the next best thing. On the heels of three Golden Globe wins for The Night Manager, based on John le Carré’s novel, AMC and the BBC are re-teaming with The Ink Factory for a limited adaptation of another le Carré’s bestselling novel, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.
The project, with Oscar winner Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) set to write the adaptation, was originally put in development by The Ink Factory and Paramount TV last summer.
This is the first TV series treatment for the book, written in 1963, which on release topped the New York Times best seller list for 32 weeks. It was the basis for the 1965 Paramount feature film starring Richard Burton. Le Carré, who served as a writer along with Paul Dehn on the 1965 film, will also executive produce. The Ink Factory will finance and produce with Character 7. Paramount Worldwide Television Licensing & Distribution will handle worldwide distribution of the series outside of the UK.
“I’m very excited by the project, and have great confidence in the team,” said John le Carré.
It is 1962: the height of the Cold War and only months after the building of the Berlin Wall. Alex Leamas is a hard-working, hard-drinking British intelligence officer whose East Berlin network is in tatters. His agents are either on the run or dead, victims of the ruthlessly efficient East German counter-intelligence officer Hans-Dieter Mundt. Leamas is recalled to London- where, to his surprise, he’s offered a chance at revenge. But to get it, he may have to stay out in the cold a little longer…
“John le Carré is one of the master story-tellers of our time, and to have the opportunity once again to put his page to our screen is an absolute privilege,” said Joel Stillerman, President of original programming and development for AMC and SundanceTV. Spy is a deep tale of intrigue in one of the most uncertain times in history. We’re very much looking forward to continuing our great partnership with Ink Factory and BBC as well as Paramount Television.”
Added Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, “Adapted by Simon Beaufoy, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold’ is utterly timely in its evocation of the Cold War period and we are thrilled to be working with The Ink Factory and AMC again to bring this seminal novel to the screen for another unmissable drama series on BBC One.”
The Ink Factory’s Stephen Cornwell and Simon Cornwell will executive produce, with Character 7’s Stephen Garrett.
The Ink Factory is repped on The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John LaViolette at Bloom Hergott, and by WME. Simon Beaufoy is repped by Charlotte Knight at Knight Hall Agency and Susan B. Landau at Thompson Street Entertainment. Stephen Garrett is repped at WME. John le Carré is represented by Jonny Geller and Nick Marston at Curtis Brown.
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