Scripted

FIFTH SEASON has secured a series of international pre-sales for Legacy of Spies, the upcoming eight-part espionage thriller produced by The Ink Factory for BBC and MGM+, marking the latest step in the global rollout of the new adaptation of John le Carré’s work. The deals cover MGM+ territories beyond the US, including Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil and Spanish-speaking Latin America, as well as SBS in Australia, Sky New Zealand and Sky Switzerland. Fifth Season has also closed a multi-territory agreement with CANAL+ covering France and French-speaking territories including Switzerland, Central and Eastern Europe and Africa.
Currently in production by The Ink Factory, Amusement Park Film, 127 Wall Productions and Paramount Television Studios, Legacy of Spies will premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK and on MGM+ in the US.

The series brings George Smiley back to television and combines material from le Carré’s global bestseller The Spy Who Came in from the Cold with his 2017 novel A Legacy of Spies. It marks the first time either novel has been adapted for television. Two-time Emmy and Bafta Award winner Matthew Macfadyen (Death by Lightning, Succession) stars as George Smiley, with Emmy-nominated Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story, The Gentlemen) as Alec Leamas and Daniel Brühl (All Quiet on the Western Front, Rush) as Josef Fiedler. Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu (The Empress) plays Doris Quinz, while Hugh Laurie (The Night Manager, House) and Joe Alwyn (The Brutalist, The Favourite) portray Control and Jim Prideaux, respectively.

Jennifer Ebell, EVP Television Distribution at FIFTH SEASON, said: “Legacy of Spies is a landmark production on many levels – bringing George Smiley, one of the most iconic characters in British fiction, back to the screen with an extraordinary cast led by Matthew Macfadyen and Charlie Hunnam. It is a deeply international story, moving across the Cold War and into the present day, and one that feels remarkably relevant to the world we are living in now. The response from broadcasters around the world, including MGM+ significantly expanding its footprint for the series, speaks to the scale of the opportunity and the enduring power of John le Carré’s work. We’re proud to be working alongside The Ink Factory to bring this to audiences globally.”