The Night Manager, a novel by John le Carré, is to be adapted by BBC1 staring such actors as Tom Hiddleston, High Laurie, Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander, Elizabeth Debicki and Susanne Bier. Co-Produced by AMC and The Ink Factory, the adaption of the 1993 Novel is scheduled for release early 2016 and will be the first adaption of a le Carré novel in over 20 years.
Yesterday the BBC announced three new actors to join the cast: Russel Tovey (Being Human, Him & Her), Alistair Petrie (Utopia) and Douglas Hodge (The Town).
The synopsis is as follows:
“The eagerly anticipated series follows former British soldier Jonathan Pine (Hiddleston) who is recruited by an intelligence operative named Burr (Colman) to navigate the shadowy recesses of Whitehall and Washington where an unholy alliance operates between the intelligence community and the secret arms trade. To infiltrate the inner circle of lethal arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper (Laurie), which includes girlfriend Jed (Debicki) and an associate named Corcoran (Hollander), Pine must himself become a criminal.”
Russel Tovey is a brilliant addition to the cast, not only because of his links with other BBC3 programmes, but for his range of acting credits over the last few years. His last role for the BBC was on Sherlock alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman last year.
Alistair Petrie is more well known on Broadway than television – earning Tony and Olivier awards for his performance for La Cage Aux Folles.
Douglas Hodge, although not as award ladden as his co-stars, is currently starring in the US/British drama Penny Dreadful.
Tom's TV Blog 