Benedict Cumberbatch is teaming up with Netflix for his latest project. The Doctor Strange star is set to feature in a TV adaptation of The 39 Steps, the classic British thriller novel from John Buchan that was famously brought to the screen by Alfred Hitchcock in his acclaimed 1935 movie of the same name. This new limited series is said to be a reimagining of the original story that will make it more relevant for our contemporary times, and has now landed on the most popular streaming site in the world.
For The 39 Steps, Cumberbatch will be reuniting with Edward Berger, who directed the former Sherlock actor’s acclaimed 2018 Showtime series Patrick Melrose. Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) will write, and it’s expected to comprise six, though possibly slightly more, hour-long episodes and shoot in Europe once Cumberbatch’s schedule becomes clear enough.
The 39 Steps is described as a “provocative action-packed conspiracy thriller series” which will see the actor playing Richard Hannay, an “ordinary man” who “becomes an unwitting pawn in a vast, global conspiracy to reset the world order: 39 Steps that will change the world as we know it, with only Hannay standing in the way.” Cumberbatch will also exec produce through his SunnyMarch banner alongside Anonymous Content and Chapter One Productions.
The Grinch star was most recently seen in legal drama The Mauritian, which released in US theaters in February, and Cold War thriller The Courier, which came out last month. He’s all set to return as the Sorcerer Supreme for a double whammy of Marvel movies, too, as he’s already completed work on Spider-Man: No Way Home and is currently shooting Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in the UK.
Netflix is said to be “aggressively committed” to making The 39 Steps, so expect this limited series to get going as soon as Benedict Cumberbatch finishes Doctor Strange 2, which comes out next March. And as always, watch this space for further updates on the project.
