There seems to be a new interest in the works of premiere spy-master John Le Carre. Recent years have seen the release of a number of Le Carre adaptations, from a new version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to the recent A Most Wanted Man, with Philip Seymour Hoffman. Now, Le Carre’s work is moving back to the small screen in the form of a limited TV series based on The Night Manager, and Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston have signed on to star.
The Night Manager will be based on Le Carre’s 1993 novel that told the story of Jonathan Pine, a former British soldier now working as a night auditor for a luxurious hotel. There he meets Sophie, a French woman in possession of documents that incriminate Richard Onslow Roper, a black marketeer and arms dealer. When Sophie winds up dead, Pine joins up with some old pals in British Intelligence to get Roper.
Exciting stuff, and absolutely perfect for a short and sweet television series a la the original Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy. The Night Manager is being developed in partnership with the BBC, which explains the presence of two stars known on both sides of the Atlantic. This will mark a return to TV for Laurie, who has been conspicuously absent there since the folding of House. Hiddleston continues to impress playing villains and secondary characters in America, while at the same time taking on all kinds of stage and screen roles in his native land. Bringing the two of them together sounds like an exciting prospect indeed.
It may be a while before we see The Night Manager, as no U.S. network has yet been attached to the production. As always though, we’ll let you know when we hear more about this intriguing espionage series.
