Working Title has been preparing a new adaptation of John Le Carre’s classic spy novel, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, for a while now, with an eye to creating a new movie franchise out of George Smiley, famously played by Alec Guinness in the 1979 mini-series (and in Smiley’s People in 1982). The story involves a retired British intelligence officer who is asked to return to his old agency to discover which of his former colleagues is a Russian spy, although we wouldn’t be shocked if Smiley becomes a bit younger and more movie star friendly in this new version.
Peter Morgan, who must be one of the busiest people in the world at the moment, has been working on the script (perhaps it was good spy training for his upcoming work on the next 007 flick).
The movie will mark Tomas Alfredson’s English-language debut, having set the indie world on fire last year with the teen-vampire movie, Let The Right One In, which was a sort of antidote to Twilight and considered by many to be a masterpiece.
We’re actually quite looking forward to this one, as Smiley is a wonderful character. It’s just a shame Guinness is no longer around to play him.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is due in cinemas in 2012.