After rumblings last year, it’s official: “The Night Manager” is back. Deadline reports that BBC and Amazon are developing not one but two new season sequels to the 2016 spy thriller, with Tom Hiddleston returning to star. Read on to find out who else will return for the new seasons.
Hiddleston is the only cast member confirmed to be back for the next “Night Manager” stories, but his foe Hugh Laurie will at least be back as an executive producer. Also returning is writer David Farr, who adapted John Le Carré‘s 1993 novel of the same name for the show. And since Le Carré’s novel never had a sequel, Farr will be writing an entirely new spy thriller this time around. As for other announced crew, Georgi Banks-Davies will direct the new series, with Stephen Garrett on board as showrunner.
Plot details are under wraps for now, but “The Night Manager” S2 will pick up with Hiddleston’s Jonathan Pine eight years after the S1. And with filming starting later this year, expect more cast news and an official synopsis soon, possibly even tonight when Hiddleston stops by “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Hiddleston will also executive produce the series with Laurie. “The Night Manager” S2 will be a co-production between The Ink Factory, Character 7, Demarest Films, and 127 Wall, with Spanish partner Nostromo Pictures. Fifth Season sold the show to Amazon, who will co-produce with BBC. AMC co-produced the show’s first season.
Simon Cornwell and Stephen Cornwell, le Carré’s sons, issued a press statement about the upcoming series, saying that the 2016 series was “a landmark moment for the golden era of television – uniting on-screen and behind-the-camera talent at the top of their game – and an audience reception which was beyond our wildest imagining.” As for the upcoming new seasons, “Revisiting the story of Pine also means going beyond the events of John le Carré’s original work: that is a decision we have not taken lightly, but his compelling characters and the vision David has for their next chapter were irresistible.”
“The Night Manager” was a smash hit when it premiered eight years ago, leading to several BAFTA, Emmy, and Golden Globes for its cast. But a lot of prestige TV has aired and been forgotten since then, so is there even an audience for a new Jonathan Pine spy thriller? Count on it. An Indian remake of the 2016 series was super popular in Asia, and had a sequel season greenlit last year. That may not guarantee the same critical success, but it proves there’s a global audience for this series yet.