Matthew Macfadyen to Play George Smiley in John Le Carré Series ‘Legacy of Spies’

“Succession” star Matthew Macfadyen may have found his next TV project. According to early reports, the Emmy-winning actor is attached to star as the lead in The Ink Factory’s new show, “Legacy of Spies,” which is based on author John le Carré’s series of George Smiley novels.

If the project finds a home and is greenlit, Macfadyen will play Smiley, the legendary intelligence officer at the center of multiple le Carré novels. The rights to the author’s work are owned by The Ink Factory, which is producing “Legacy of Spies.” Fifth Season is set to distribute the project, which has reportedly been shopped around and has already caught the attention of multiple potential buyers.

“Legacy of Spies” will draw inspiration from all of le Carré’s Smiley novels, as well as some of the author’s unpublished work. Ink Factory co-founder Stephen Cornwell and Clarissa Ingram have already penned multiple scripts for the series. “Silo” creator Graham Yost, meanwhile, is attached to executive produce the still-developing project.

Macfadyen was last seen as the villainous TVA worker Mr. Paradox in 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Before that, he capped off his four-season run as Tom Wambsgans in “Succession.” Macfadyen won two Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmys for his performance in the acclaimed HBO drama.

He will next appear opposite Nicole Kidman in the new film “Holland,” which premieres on Amazon’s Prime Video on March 27. He also stars alongside Betty Gilpin, Nick Offerman and Michael Shannon in the upcoming Netflix limited series “Death By Lightning,” which comes from “Bad Education” writer Mike Makowsky, “Captain Fantastic” director Matt Ross and producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (“Game of Thrones,” “3 Body” Problem”). The historical drama centers on the real-life assassination of U.S. president James A. Garfield.

If “Legacy of Spies” moves forward, Macfadyen will join the small group of distinguished actors who have portrayed Smiley onscreen. The character has previously been played memorably by Alec Guinness in the BBC’s 1979 miniseries adaptation of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” Rupert Davies in 1965’s “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold” and Gary Oldman in director Tomas Alfredson’s 2011 feature-film take on “Tinker Tailor.”

The Ink Factory’s previous le Carré adaptations include “The Night Manager,” 2018’s “The Little Drummer Girl” and 2014’s “A Most Wanted Man.”

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