Matthew Macfadyen, best known for his role in Succession, is set to star as George Smiley in the BBC's upcoming spy thriller Legacy of Spies. The series, adapted from John le Carré's novels The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1963) and A Legacy of Spies (2017), also features Hugh Laurie in an undisclosed role.
The Cold War-era drama follows master spy George Smiley and is described as a tale of "strategy, loyalty, love and betrayal." The BBC synopsis reveals that Alec Leamas, a senior British intelligence officer in Berlin, is offered a chance for revenge after his agent is killed. He poses as a disgraced ex-agent to trap East German intelligence deputy director Mundt, with Smiley orchestrating the operation.
Charlie Hunnam stars as Alec Leamas, alongside Daniel Brühl as Stasi strategist Josef Fiedler, Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu as East German agent Doris Quinz, and Felix Kammerer as Stasi enforcer Hans-Dieter Mundt. Dan Stevens plays Bill Haydon, with Jake Dunn as Peter Guillam and Safia Oakley-Green as Molly Gibson.
The series comes from the production team behind The Night Manager, with le Carré's son Stephen Cornwell as showrunner and Michael Lennox directing. Filming is currently underway, with a release date yet to be announced. It will premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK, and on MGM+ in the US.
