The past few years have been a treasure trove of adaptations of John Le Carré works, ranging from the terrific “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and limited series adaptation “The Night Manager,” to efforts that received more mixed notices like “A Most Wanted Man” and “Our Kind Of Traitor.” But across all those projects, the material has attracted name brand talent, and that’s likely to continue as one of the author’s most acclaimed books is headed to the small screen.
THR reports that “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold” is being adapted for television by Paramount TV. And even at this early stage, the project has landed a heavyweight in screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (“127 Hours,” “Everest”), who will pen what will be a limited series TV show about an agent who is given a chance to exact revenge at the close of the Cold War. Here’s the book synopsis:
In the shadow of the newly erected Berlin Wall, Alec Leamas watches as his last agent is shot dead by East German sentries. For Leamas, the head of Berlin Station, the Cold War is over. As he faces the prospect of retirement or worse—a desk job—Control offers him a unique opportunity for revenge. Assuming the guise of an embittered and dissolute ex-agent, Leamas is set up to trap Mundt, the deputy director of the East German Intelligence Service—with himself as the bait. In the background is George Smiley, ready to make the game play out just as Control wants.
As you likely already know, the book has already been adapted once, into The Criterion Collection approved 1965 movie directed by Martin Ritt, and starring Richard Burton. But great stories are worthy of being told again, and this certainly has promise. If you’re ready to start dreamcasting, let us know who you want for the leads in the comments section below.