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Michael Shannon is joining the cast of AMC’s adaptation of John le Carre novel LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL, the company announced Thursday.
Shannon is joining Alexander Skarsgard and Florence Pugh in the limited series, which hails from the Night Manager team of AMC, BBC and Ink Factory.
The story follows brilliant young actress Charlie (Pugh) who strikes up an acquaintance with an intriguing stranger while on holiday in Greece, but it rapidly becomes apparent that his intentions are far from romantic. The man is Becker (Skarsgård), an Israeli intelligence officer, who entangles her in a complex and high stakes plot, orchestrated by Israeli Spymaster Kurtz (Shannon), which unfolds as she takes on the role of a lifetime in the ‘theatre of the real’. Set in the late 1970s, yet sharply contemporary, “The Little Drummer Girl” weaves a dynamic and exciting story of espionage and international intrigue; of love and betrayal.
Park Chan-Wook is directing and executive producing all six episodes.
“The first time I saw Michael was as one of the genius actors who delivered wonderful performances in Revolutionary Road, and ever since I’ve remained his loyal fan,” the director said in a statement. “I believe Michael will make the perfect Kurtz, a man scarred by history and carrying burdens all too heavy on his shoulders, an Israeli ‘Captain Ahab’ obsessed by his biggest and most elusive nemesis yet.”
AMC and BBC are also planning to adapt Le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, with Simon Beaufoy writing and executive producing.
Other le Carré novels that have recently been adapted into successful movies and TV shows include The Constant Gardener, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, A Most Wanted Man and Our Kind of Traitor, the latter two of which were also produced by The Ink Factory.
The Night Manager won two Emmys and three Golden Globe Awards.
Shannon can currently be seen in Oscar frontrunner The Shape of Water and will next be seen on TV in Paramount Network’s Waco miniseries and HBO’s Fahrenheit 451 opposite Michael B. Jordan.
Shannon is represented by CAA, Wetzel Entertainment Group and attorney David Krintzman of Morris Yorn.
Linda Ge | TV Editor
