John le Carré’s Legacy of Spies Series Comes to BBC and MGM+ with Charlie Hunnam, Daniel Brühl, and Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu in the Cast
A new television adaptation of John le Carré’s novels, titled Legacy Of Spies, has been secured by the BBC in the UK and MGM+ in the U.S., as announced on Tuesday. The series is set to feature prominent actors Charlie Hunnam, known for his roles in Monster and Sons of Anarchy, Daniel Brühl of Inglorious Basterds fame, and Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu from The Empress. Matthew Macfadyen will also star in the series, which is expected to begin production in early 2026.
The rights to le Carré’s work are held by The Ink Factory, which is producing the series in collaboration with Fifth Season, responsible for its distribution. The project was first reported to be in development back in March.
Hunnam will portray British intelligence officer Alec Leamas, with Macfadyen as George Smiley. Brühl is set to play East German spy Jens Fielder, while Islamoğlu will take on the role of Doris Quinz, also known as Agent Tulip.
The screenplay will be penned by Stephen Cornwell, whose previous works include Message from the King and A Most Wanted Man, in collaboration with Clarissa Ingram. The narrative will unfold across the UK, as well as East and West Germany and Czechoslovakia during the story’s time period.
Legacy of Spies is produced by The Ink Factory in co-production with Amusement Park Film, alongside partnerships with 127 Wall Productions and Paramount Television Studios, with Fifth Season managing global sales. The executive producers for this project include Stephen Cornwell, Graham Yost, Simon Cornwell, Michele Wolkoff, Malte Grunert, Chris Rice, Steve Clark-Hall, Matthew Macfadyen, Charlie Hunnam, Joe Tsai, and Arthur Wang. Notably, Susanne Bier and Mike Lesslie will serve as executive producers for the inaugural season. Executive oversight for the BBC is provided by Gaynor Holmes and Nick Lambon, while Nick Cornwell represents the John le Carré estate. Sam Costin will act as co-executive producer for The Ink Factory.
