Legacy Of Spies, a TV series based John le Carré’s series of novels, has landed at the BBC in the UK and MGM+ in the U.S, it was announced Tuesday. Additionally, Charlie Hunnam (Monster, Sons of Anarchy), Daniel Brühl (Inglorious Basterds, Rush), and Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu (The Empress) join Matthew Macfadyen in the series, which is slated to begin production in early 2026.
The Ink Factory, which owns the rights to le Carré’s work, is producing and Fifth Season is distributing the drama. The series was first reported to being shopped in March.
Hunnam will play British intelligence officer Alec Leamas opposite Macfadyen’s George Smiley, Brühl will portray East German spy Jens Fielder and Islamoğlu will portray Doris Quinz aka Agent Tulip.
Stephen Cornwell (Message from the King, A Most Wanted Man, Unknown) will pen the screenplay alongside Clarissa Ingram, which will be set across the UK, and what was, in the time period of the story, East and West Germany and Czechoslovakia.
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, with Fifth Season handling global sales. Executive producers on the project include Stephen Cornwell, Graham Yost, Simon Cornwell, Michele Wolkoff, Malte Grunert, Chris Rice, Steve Clark-Hall, Matthew Macfadyen, Charlie Hunnam, Joe Tsai and Arthur Wang. Susanne Bier and Mike Lesslie are also executive producers on the first season. Executive producers for the BBC are Gaynor Holmes and Nick Lambon. Nick Cornwell is executive producer for the John le Carré estate. Sam Costin will serve as co-executive producer for The Ink Factory.