BBC Adapts John Le Carré Novel

Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston are to star in a new TV adaptation of John le Carré's novel The Night Manager, it has been announced.

BBC One, The Ink Factory and AMC today have unveiled a co-production partnership for the adaptation, which is set to begin filming in spring 2015. Susanne Bier, who won an Academy Award for In A Better World, will direct.

The Night Manager series follows former British soldier Jonathan Pine (Hiddleston) as he investigates Whitehall and Washington, where an unholy alliance operates between the intelligence community and the secret arms trade. To infiltrate the inner circle of arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper (Laurie), Pine must himself become a criminal.

Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, said: "It's a fantastic coup to bring le Carré back to our screens after more than 20 years. He is quite simply one of the greatest novelists of our time and I am sure that with AMC, Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie on board combined with talented director Susanne Bier, this will be one of the BBC's most unique, ambitious and unmissable dramas."

Hugh Laurie said: "I loved The Night Manager when it was published, and for more than 20 years have yearned to see it realised on screen. I am now thrilled and honoured to have the frontest of front row seats. All the moving parts are finely machined - we just have to not mess it up."

Tom Hiddleston said: "I could not be more excited to join BBC One, The Ink Factory and AMC for The Night Manager. Jonathan Pine is a thrilling prospect. Described by John le Carré as a 'sometime army wolfchild with a special unit' in the British forces, 'caterer, chef, itinerant hotelier, perpetual escapee from emotional entanglements, collector of other people's languages, self-exiled creature of the night and sailor without a destination', Jonathan Pine is the most mysterious and complex kind of British hero. It's an honor and a privilege to work with such truly impeccable collaborators as Hugh Laurie and Susanne Bier in bringing this to the screen. David Farr's screenplay, adapted from le Carré's brilliant novel, is absolutely outstanding. I'm beyond thrilled and I can't wait."

Susanne Bier said: "John le Carre's The Night Manager is a relentlessly exhilarating thriller with profound emotional depths. Its narrative is carried by two secretive, alluring protagonists, Roper and Pine. David Farr's elegant script perfectly orchestrates the central cat-and-mouse game between these two irresistibly flawed characters. That Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston will be playing Roper and Pine, respectively, is so thrilling to me. Their shared soulfulness, precision and sharp humor will seduce us all, both through Roper's charming yet insidious manipulations and Pine's unsettlingly enigmatic struggle to do the right thing. It is a great honour to be directing The Night Manager and to be part of the collaboration between AMC, BBC One, The Ink Factory and Stephen Garrett. I could not be more excited."

Joel Stillerman, AMC's executive vice president of programming, production and digital content, said: "'The Night Manager' is truly the whole package. It's a terrific piece of source material, great producers in The Ink Factory, a phenomenal writer in David Farr, an award-winning director in Susanne Bier, and two incredibly talented actors. Beyond that, it represents AMC's continuing commitment to finding creative ways to work with the international community to bring the best television to our network – an initiative we have ramped up very quickly that has already resulted in multiple high-quality projects for our air. We're thrilled to be in business with the BBC and the fantastic Night Manager team."

Simon Cornwell of The Ink Factory said: "Working with AMC to deliver The Night Manager to U.S. and Canadian audiences is a huge privilege. AMC has established itself as one of the great innovators in television in the 21st century, and alongside the BBC we believe they are the best possible partners to support this incredible project. In Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston we have the core of an extraordinary cast, in Susanne Bier a great director, and in David Farr, an exceptional writer who is bringing a brilliant contemporary take to one of le Carré's finest novels. We couldn't be more excited!"

The Night Manager will be produced by The Ink Factory (A Most Wanted Man) for broadcast on BBC One and AMC in 2016.

Executive producers are Stephen Cornwell and Simon Cornwell for The Ink Factory, Stephen Garrett, David Farr, and Polly Hill, Head of Independent Drama for the BBC. The series was commissioned for BBC One by Charlotte Moore, Controller BBC One and Ben Stephenson, and Joel Stillerman, Marci Wiseman and Kristin Jones for AMC.

The Night Manager is adapted by David Farr (Hanna, Spooks) from John le Carré's original novel. Rob Bullock (The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Chasing Shadows) will produce for The Ink Factory.

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre

(IT/JP)