Matthew Macfadyen to Play George Smiley in John le Carré Series in the Works From Ink Factory, Fifth Season – Variety

By

Joe Otterson
TV Reporter
A TV series based on the works of John le Carré with Matthew Macfadyen attached to star is heating up the marketplace.
Variety has learned that the drama “Legacy of Spies” is currently in the works from producer The Ink Factory and with Fifth Season onboard to distribute. Macfadyen would star as George Smiley, a central character in a number of le Carré’s novels. Stephen Cornwell and Clarissa Ingram have written the initial scripts for the potential series, with Graham Yost (“Silo,” “Justified,” “Slow Horses”) onboard as an executive producer.
The project is described as an amalgamation of a number of le Carré’s novels, including “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” and “The Honorable Schoolboy,” as well as others and some unpublished work.

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According to an individual with knowledge of the project, it has already been pitched to buyers both in the U.S. and U.K. with multiple offers on the table.

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Should the series move forward, Macfadyen would be the latest actor to portray legendary spymaster Smiley onscreen. Previously, actors like Gary Oldman, Rupert Davies, Alec Guiness, and Denholm Elliott have played the character across film and television.
This also marks the latest TV role Macfadyen has lined up recently. Following his breakout turn in the hit HBO drama “Succession” — for which he earned won two consecutive Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award — Macfadyen became attached to star in the upcoming Netflix period drama “Death by Lightning” and the Peacock series “The Miniature Wife.” He is also known for his roles in films like 2005’s “Pride and Prejudice,” “Death at a Funeral,” “Deadpool 3” and the Amazon film “Holland, Michigan.”
He is repped by UTA, Hamilton Hodell, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
It was announced in 2020 that Fifth Season (then Endeavor Content) had taken a minority stake in The Ink Factory. The Ink Factory, which was founded by le Carré’s sons Stephen and Simon Cornwell, has previously produced multiple adaptations of the author’s work. That includes the series adaptation of “The Night Manager” starring Tom Hiddleston. That show won two Emmys and three Golden Globes, including best actor for Hiddleston, upon its debut.
It was announced in 2024 that BBC and Amazon Prime Video had picked up two more seasons of the show with Hiddleston returning as Jonathan Pine. The company also produced the series “The Little Drummer Girl” as well as the film “A Most Wanted Man,” both based on le Carré books.
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Source: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/matthew-macfadyen-george-smiley-john-le-carre-series-1236336351/