A major new television adaptation of John le Carré’s spy novels is coming. Legacy of Spies, a new eight-part drama, has been officially announced for BBC One, BBC iPlayer in the UK, and MGM+ in the United States. The series will bring together an acclaimed cast, led by Matthew Macfadyen as the legendary spymaster George Smiley and Charlie Hunnam as the embittered agent Alec Leamas.
The production is described by its creators as the most ambitious le Carré project to date. It aims to chart the overarching story of George Smiley’s Cold War, particularly his long-running battle with his Soviet nemesis, Karla. The series will start filming in early 2026, with an expected release later that year or in early 2027.
A Star-Studded Cast for a Classic Spy Tale
The core cast for Legacy of Spies features some of the most respected actors working today. Matthew Macfadyen, who recently won Emmy and BAFTA awards for his role in Succession, will take on the iconic role of George Smiley. This character, a quiet but brilliant intelligence officer, was previously portrayed on screen by Alec Guinness and Gary Oldman.
Macfadyen will be joined by Charlie Hunnam, known for Sons of Anarchy and The Gentlemen, who will play Alec Leamas. In the story, Leamas is a senior British intelligence officer in Berlin who is pulled into one final, dangerous mission. The cast also includes Daniel Brühl (All Quiet on the Western Front, Rush) as East German spy Jens Fielder and Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu (The Empress) as the pivotal Agent Tulip.
The series is being produced by The Ink Factory, the company founded by le Carré’s sons, Stephen and Simon Cornwell, which has a strong track record with adaptations like The Night Manager and The Little Drummer Girl. Stephen Cornwell is writing the series with Clarissa Ingram and will also serve as the showrunner.
“This project is in many ways the most ambitious and all-encompassing adaptation of le Carré’s work to date,” said Simon and Stephen Cornwell in a statement. They added that having “Matthew embody this operational mastermind, a man both vulnerable and dangerous, alongside the brilliant talent of Charlie and Devrim, is a great coup”.
Blending Two Iconic Le Carré Novels
Legacy of Spies will not adapt just one book. The creative team is blending material from two of le Carré’s acclaimed novels. The primary source is The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, the author’s 1963 breakthrough hit that is still regarded as one of the greatest spy novels ever written. The series will also draw on le Carré’s 2017 novel, A Legacy of Spies, which serves as both a prequel and a sequel to the earlier story.
This approach allows the series to explore the story from multiple angles and time periods. The Spy Who Came In From the Cold is a tense, straightforward thriller following Alec Leamas’s mission. A Legacy of Spies, however, is set decades later and follows Peter Guillam, Smiley’s protégé, as he is forced to defend the morally ambiguous actions taken during the Cold War. By combining these narratives, the television series can provide both the immediate thrill of the operation and a later examination of its consequences.
The official synopsis sets the scene at the height of the Cold War. It begins as Alec Leamas watches his last agent killed at the Berlin Wall. Facing retirement, Leamas is offered a chance for revenge by his superiors, known as “Control.” He must pretend to be a drunken, disgraced former agent to trap a high-ranking East German intelligence officer. Lurking in the background of this scheme is George Smiley, ensuring the plan proceeds as designed.
Production Details and Creative Team
The series is a major international co-production. It is being made by The Ink Factory in co-production with Amusement Park Film (the company behind All Quiet on the Western Front) and in association with 127 Wall Productions and Paramount Television Studios. The global distribution is being handled by Fifth Season.
The executive producers include a lineup of talent with deep experience in intelligent, character-driven thrillers. Alongside Stephen and Simon Cornwell, the list includes Graham Yost, known for Justified and Apple TV’s spy series Slow Horses, and Malte Grunert of All Quiet on the Western Front. Both Matthew Macfadyen and Charlie Hunnam will also serve as executive producers on the series.
“Legacy of Spies is a dream le Carré project adapted by the brilliant Stephen Cornwell and Clarissa Ingram,” said Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. “We are thrilled to have The Ink Factory – who are the ultimate experts in this genre – making this series which stars some of our best actors… BBC viewers are in for a very special treat!”.
For MGM+, the series fits a clear brand strategy. Michael Wright, global head of MGM+, stated the series represents “classic storytelling for a modern audience” and called partnering on this project a “dream”.
The story will be set across multiple locations crucial to the Cold War era, including the UK, East and West Germany, and Czechoslovakia. This geographical scope promises a visually rich and authentic backdrop for the espionage drama.
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The Legacy of George Smiley and the Cold War Spy Genre
The character of George Smiley is central to John le Carré’s literary world. He is not a flashy, action-oriented spy like James Bond, but a contemplative, bespectacled bureaucrat who excels in the subtle arts of intelligence and manipulation. His lifelong opponent is the shadowy Soviet spymaster, Karla, and Legacy of Spies will track Smiley’s ongoing quest to defeat him.
The 2017 novel A Legacy of Spies revisits the events of the 1960s from a modern perspective, questioning the costs and morality of the secret war. In the book, an aging Peter Guillam is called back to London to answer for past operations as the children of deceased agents sue the British government. This reflective element adds a layer of moral complexity that the television series is expected to incorporate.
This new series continues a strong partnership between The Ink Factory and the le Carré estate, following the acclaimed limited series The Night Manager, which won multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards. With a powerful cast, a respected creative team, and a deep literary foundation, Legacy of Spies is positioned as a major event in television drama.
Legacy of Spies does not yet have a specific release date. Production is scheduled to begin in early 2026. The series will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on the MGM+ streaming service in the United States upon its release.
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Credits: BBC Media Centre
