Not every movie that gets a sequel deserves one, but the unfortunate other side of the coin is that there are often more than worthy features that fully deserve further installments, only to end up being cast aside and consigned to the annals of history. 11 years later, and fans remain apoplectic that Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy remains part of the latter.
Looking at how Thomas Alfredson’s Cold War thriller performed among critics and audiences, not to mention at the box office, it’s admittedly infuriating that we haven’t seen another outing from Gary Oldman’s George Smiley. The acclaimed period piece hauled in over $80 million during its theatrical run, landed three nominations at the Academy Awards, and won rave reviews at the time of its release.
In 2016, Oldman revealed that a sequel was in the early stages of development, but that was pretty much the last we heard about it. Needless to say, folks aren’t best pleased that we were teased with additional adventures, only to have them cruelly ripped away.
It’s very strange for a critically acclaimed, commercially successful, and award-nominated effort to hype up sequels and then completely forget about them, especially when spy stories remain all the rage. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was immaculately cast, expertly crafted, and utterly engaging from the first minute to last, and that’s without even mentioning the top-tier supporting ensemble lending Oldman impeccable backup.
Knowing how Hollywood works, we wouldn’t even be that shocked if a reboot ended up getting announced in the future instead.