UPDATED: Tues 11/22/17 – Casting news
In a press release:
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EMMY® AWARD WINNER ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD SET TO STAR IN THE INK FACTORY, BBC AND AMC’S “THE LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL”
Production on the Park Chan-wook directed six-part le Carré adaptation begins in early 2018
Alexander Skarsgard at 2017 Emmys — Photo by J. Merritt – © 2017 J. Merritt – Image courtesy gettyimages.com
London and Los Angeles, 21 November 2017 – The Ink Factory, BBC ONE and AMC announced that Emmy® Award-Winner Alexander Skarsgård (“Big Little Lies”, “True Blood”, Tarzan) will join Florence Pugh (Lady Macbeth), in Park Chan-wook’s (Old Boy, The Handmaiden, Stoker) television debut “The Little Drummer Girl”, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by John le Carré. Production on the six-part mini-series begins early next year with global sales handled by Endeavor Content/IMG.
In “The Little Drummer Girl” brilliant young actress Charlie (Pugh) 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 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.
Simon and Stephen Cornwell, Co-CEOs and Founders of The Ink Factory said: “The level of expertise and creativity behind this series is unmatched, and we are excited to be gathering a cast of incredible talent to inhabit the brilliant world le Carré has created. Alexander Skarsgård is a captivating actor with great depth and we are delighted to have him join the project.”
Park Chan-wook added: “To play an enigmatic man who hides his true feelings deep inside, I couldn’t think of a more fitting actor. I believe Skarsgård’s growing depth as a great character actor and his soaring energy will elevate “The Little Drummer Girl” to a higher place.”
The series will be financed and produced by The Ink Factory in partnership with 127 Wall and co-producers the BBC and AMC. Laura Hastings-Smith (“Howards End”, Macbeth and Hunger) will work as Producer with Simon and Stephen Cornwell serving as Executive Producers alongside John le Carré, Mona Qureshi for the BBC, Joe Tsai and Arthur Wang for 127 Wall, and Wonjo Jeong.
Skarsgård will next be seen starring in Duncan Jones’ Mute opposite Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux and The Aftermath, starring opposite Keira Knightley. He will also be seen in Hold the Dark, Netflix’s adventure thriller from director Jeremy Saulnier. Skarsgård is currently shooting Hummingbird in Montreal, which he is co-starring in opposite Jesse Eisenberg, with Kim Nguyen directing. Skarsgård was most recently in Jean-Marc Vallée’s award-winning HBO series “Big Little Lies,” for which he won the Emmy® for best supporting actor in a limited series.
Skarsgård is represented by CAA and lawyers Steve Warren and Gretchen Rush; Park is represented by Industry Entertainment and WME; and Pugh is represented by Julian Belfrage Associates and WME.
Source: ©2017 AMC Networks. All Rights Reserved.
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———— Original Post Nov. 8, 2017 ————
In a press release:
ON THE HEELS OF THE WILDLY SUCCESSFUL AND AWARD-
Florence Pugh to Star in the Park Chan-wook Directed Series; The series will be sold globally by Endeavor Content / IMG
London, England [8 November 2017] – On the heels of the BAFTA®, Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award-winning series “The Night Manager,” starring Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman, The Ink Factory, BBC ONE and AMC announced today that the next project the three companies will be adapting into a six-part mini-series will be John le Carré’s best-selling literary masterpiece “The Little Drummer Girl.” The series will be directed by acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan-wook (Old Boy, The Handmaiden, Stoker), marking his television debut. Florence Pugh (Lady Macbeth) will star. “The Little Drummer Girl” is set to go into production in January 2018. The series will be sold globally by Endeavor Content / IMG.
Florence Pugh attends the 58th BFI London Film Festival awards.
The series will be financed and produced by The Ink Factory in partnership with 127 Wall and co-producers the BBC and AMC. Laura Hastings-Smith (“Howards End”, Macbeth and Hunger) will work as Producer with Simon and Stephen Cornwell serving as Executive Producers alongside John le Carré, Mona Qureshi for the BBC, Joe Tsai and Arthur Wang for 127 Wall, and Wonjo Jeong. Hastings-Smith leads a world-class production team including Production Designer Maria Djurkovic (The Imitation Game, The Hours), Director of Photography Woo-hyung Kim (The Taste of Money, The President’s Last Bang), Casting Director Jina Jay (Darkest Hour, Rogue One), Costume Designer Steven Noble (The Theory of Everything, A Monster Calls) and Supervising Editor Lucia Zucchetti (The Queen, Their Finest).
“The Little Drummer Girl” has been commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, and Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, Kristin Jones, SVP International Programming for AMC and Sundance TV, and David Madden, President of Programming, AMC, Sundance TV and AMC Studios.
Set in the late 1970s, “The Little Drummer Girl” weaves a dynamic and exciting story of espionage and international intrigue; of love and betrayal. In this high-stakes drama, set against the background of rising tensions in the Middle East, a young, brilliant actress Charlie (Pugh) prepares for her ultimate role in ‘the theatre of the real’.
Park Chan-wook added: “Of le Carré’s many masterpieces, the one I love ahead of any other is “The Little Drummer Girl”. At the core of this story is an extremely painful, but thrilling, romance. This is what makes the story universal, reaching beyond borders and languages and remaining incredibly current. To adapt such a great work without losing its integrity, it needs the time and depth of a television series, and I am excited at the prospect of seeing how the drumbeats of Florence Pugh, the most energetic young female actor I have seen recently, will resonate with the audience.”
Simon and Stephen Cornwell, co-CEOs and Founders of The Ink Factory said: “With “The Little Drummer Girl” we are embarking on an extraordinary journey. It is exhilarating to see one of le Carré’s greatest novels take shape for the screen in the hands of such a brilliantly talented team. Park Chan-wook is a master filmmaker at the height of his powers. His passion for the project and his vision are utterly compelling. Florence Pugh is an exciting actor whose Charlie will lead us on a heart-wrenching journey, and the team behind the camera assembled under Laura Hastings-Smith’s steadfast leadership is unparalleled. We could not be more excited to be working with our friends and partners at the BBC and at AMC to bring “The Little Drummer Girl” to audiences around the world.”
Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, said: “We are thrilled by the extraordinary array of talents which The Ink Factory are assembling to bring this iconic le Carré story to the screen. The combination of Director Park’s passion for this title and the huge screen presence of Florence Pugh will make for a real drama event when “Little Drummer Girl” premieres on BBC ONE.”
“After the tremendous reception by U.S. audiences to “The Night Manager”, we are thrilled to be working again with The Ink Factory and the BBC on another brilliantly-plotted and deeply emotional John le Carré thriller, “The Little Drummer Girl”,” said David Madden, President of Original Programming for AMC, Sundance TV and AMC Studios. “Personally speaking, I read the book when it was published in the 1980s, and it’s frightening and thought-provoking to recognize how relevant the story still is today. Florence Pugh is a gifted actress who will make a stunning Charlie, and Park is a filmmaker of extraordinary vision whose entry into the world of le Carré-style espionage should be irresistible.”
Park is a film director, screenwriter, producer and former film critic who has emerged as one of the most significant talents in cinema in recent years. He is best known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst, The Handmaiden and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy consisting of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance.
Pugh recently starred as Katherine in critically acclaimed Lady Macbeth, which won her The Evening Standard Breakthrough of the Year Award. She also recently wrapped production on Fighting with My Family, based on the true story of WWE Superstar Raya Knight, played by Pugh. She is currently filming David Mackenzie’s Outlaw King, the story of Robert the Bruce, opposite Chris Pine, and is playing Cordelia in BBC/Amazon’s King Lear, directed by Richard Eyre and also starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.
Park is represented by Industry Entertainment and WME; Pugh is represented by Julian Belfrage Associates and WME; and John le Carré is represented by Jonny Geller and Nick Marston at Curtis Brown.
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Content © 2017 AMC Networks. All Rights Reserved.
Linda
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