57 replies to this topic

[double o ego]

Fiennes, Firth, Oldman and Fassbender Set for Tinker

Source: Variety
July 8, 2010



Ralph Fiennes, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman and Michael Fassbender will star in the espionage thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy for Working Title and Studio Canal.

Tomas Alfredson (Let The Right One In) is directing the film, which starts shooting this October in London. Peter Morgan wrote the script.

Based on John Le Carre's seminal cold war best-seller, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the thriller tells the tale of a spy-hunt within the highest echelons of the British Secret Intelligence Service.

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This sounds ****ing awesome. If you're not excited, or at least interested in this something is wrong with you.

This whole thing sounds off the ****ing chain.

[DamnCoffee]

Oooh, this does look very interesting, indeed!

[OmarB]

Saw this in some other thread. I'm all for it, any LeCarre is great IMO, and I love that book.

[Gogol Pushkin]

Sadly I've never gotten round to reading Le Carre's book, but I did see the BBC television version of it and enjoyed it immensley. Have to say, that's one hell of a cast to get signed up and plus a good director as well. Class this one as eagerly awaited.

[Cody]

I haven't read the book or seen the previous adaptation, but that is a fantastic assemblage of talent both in front of and behind the camera. My interest has been captured.

[dinovelvet]

Just so nobody gets TOO excited and starts attaching their Bond hopes to it, hope you all know its going to basically be blokes talking for two hours...

[OmarB]

Yeah, we know, I'm sure the vast majority of us have read it or some other LeCarre. That's why I read it, riveting dialogue.

[jrcjohnny99]

This should be terrific;
Fiennes is great in everything; If only they'd cast him as Holmes...

[bondrules]

I ain't read the the book yet, but the cast is damn outstanding! Fassbender, after IB, has become one of my new favorite actors.

[Trident]

Phew, not sure if this really needs a remake. The beep-series with Alec Guinness was pretty good and I don't know what a new attempt would add to it. It's a story that doesn't lend itself too easily to adaption and it would really also call for the greater picture, ie doing all three Karla books. Perhaps better left alone.

[Peckinpah1976]

Phew, not sure if this really needs a remake. The beep-series with Alec Guinness was pretty good and I don't know what a new attempt would add to it. It's a story that doesn't lend itself too easily to adaption and it would really also call for the greater picture, ie doing all three Karla books. Perhaps better left alone.

A new version after 30+ years and for a different medium isn't really stepping on the toes of the original IMO and whilst it's true that the story couldn't be comfortably told in 2hrs, the BBC serial is over-extended if anything so maybe a happy balance can be struck? Also the recent adaptations for Radio 4 managed to be completely fresh despite facing the same competition from already existing and justifiably acclaimed versions.

Edited by Peckinpah1976, 01 August 2010 - 12:17 AM.

[OmarB]

There was a radio drama version? I'm so jealous of you Brits getting those great literary radio dramas. I would love to get that on CD.

[sthgilyadgnivileht]

It will be interesting to see exactly how it's adapted and directed and how it compares with the original '79 miniseries - which must rank as one of the best things the BBC has ever done.

[Peckinpah1976]

There was a radio drama version? I'm so jealous of you Brits getting those great literary radio dramas. I would love to get that on CD.

The entire Smiley cannon was recently produced for Radio 4 and damn fine they were too, earlier versions for most (but not all) of the novels exist as well (from the same station) but being made over a much longer period of time utilised different writers/actors etc. All can be easilly tracked down in the usual types of places - if you catch my drift.....

[marktmurphy]

Is Fiennes playing Smiley?

There was a radio drama version? I'm so jealous of you Brits getting those great literary radio dramas. I would love to get that on CD.

I'm pretty sure that you can legitimately listen to BBC radio on their iPlayer site even abroad: they only stay on there a week after broadcast, though. Worth checking the BBC Radio 7 site as that plays archive stuff. You can't watch the TV shows, though.

[DamnCoffee]

Some more casting news on this...

Benedict Cumberbatch has joined the cast of British spy drama Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy.

The Sherlock star revealed to The Sunday Times Magazine that he will play MI6 agent Peter Guillam in the remake from Let The Right One In director Tomas Alfredson.

Tinker, Taylor is based on John le Carré's spy novel and was previously adapted for a 1979 TV series with Michael Jayston in the Guillam role and Sir Alec Guinness as his mentor George Smiley.

Gary Oldman is expected to play Smiley in the new version, while Michael Fassbender, Colin Firth and David Thewlis have all held talks about starring in the movie.

Cumberbatch, who counts Atonement and Four Lions among his big screen credits, is also due to star in Steven Spielberg's upcoming War Horse.

Discussing the differences between his two forthcoming film roles, Cumberbatch said: "War Horse is a thrill, and an incredible CV filler, and Spielberg is amazing... but to me [Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy] is... such a grown-up role."

[sthgilyadgnivileht]

Oldman as Smiley - that sounds like a good choice.

[Cody]

Tom Hardy replaces Fassbender

Fassbender had to drop out due to schedule conflicts with his role as young Magneto in X-Men: First Class.

[double o ego]

Hmm, Tom Hardy and Fassbender...2 potential Bond number 7s. Hardy would be a good replacement.

[Arch Stanton]

I only just heard about this a couple of weeks ago and was shocked that this got into the filming stage without me catching wind of it at all. I'm a big fan of the book and ABSOLUTELY LOVED the mini-series. I'm very interested in seeing what they can make of this. Having been reading vauge reports for some time now that a feature film version of this was in development I must say that I've never been crazy about the idea. It's just such a massive story and was adapted to sheer perfection with the six-part series. Any feature length version would HAVE to be crap. But, I'm reserving my judgement and will try to look forward to it.

Hopefully they can shoot for at least a two-hour PLUS running time. Going through the outline of the series in my head I suppose that there are a few places here and there they could shorten or ommit. Would like them to keep the slower pace if possible though. I hate how some movies these days feel the need to rush-rush-rush through everything.

Gary Oldman is a GREAT actor, and even though one of my first thoughts was that he's not old enough to be Smiley, I also thought that he's good enough that it doesn't really matter. This is the one thing I'm looking forward to most, since the pretty much every part in the series was casted PERFECTLY, I hope that the new cast can be half as good.

And one last thing, since I've heard the news I've been watching the series again and I think that Daniel Craig would've been a GREAT Peter Guilliam. In particular, when I was watching the scene where Alleline confronts Peter about Rikki Tarr I almost felt like Daniel Craig WAS Peter Gulliam. Just watch that scene again and look at that actor's manerisms and listen to his voice. It's VERY Daniel Craig.

[sthgilyadgnivileht]

I agree about the Daniel Craig/Peter Guilliam comparison. He would have been great and the fact I can imagine him in the original mini series alongside those other acting greats is kudos for Craig.

[Syndicate]

So far it sounds good, hope it does not any sign of the super spy theme in the movie. I'm hoping it will be a 100% close to the real world type. Also it does not the big hollywood movie feel to it. It be great if it has that big hollywood indy movie fell to it or a little of that BBC miniseries feel to it.

[dinovelvet]

Here are some photos of Tom Hardy on the set, and his overall look leads me to believe this remake will be a bit more...radical than we're expecting :

http://justjared.buz...or-soldier-spy/

[sthgilyadgnivileht]

Here are some photos of Tom Hardy on the set, and his overall look leads me to believe this remake will be a bit more...radical than we're expecting :

http://justjared.buz...or-soldier-spy/

Looks interesting, looking forward to the film, and hoping very much I will like it.

[Johnboy007]

This is the only movie coming out this year that interests me. Never would have thought to pick Gary Oldman for Smiley.

I hope they don't screw it up!

[Bryce (003)]

This could work. I enjoyed the books. May have to dig them out of my book vault for a fresh read, but with a cast like this and a modern setting, it could really make a go of it.

[Goodnight]

Colin Firth......yes, I am interested

[Brisco]

This could work. I enjoyed the books. May have to dig them out of my book vault for a fresh read, but with a cast like this and a modern setting, it could really make a go of it.

For my money, it narrowly edges out CR as the best spy novel ever written, so I'm very excited for this movie! But it's not a modern setting; they've kept the Cold War period and the hairstyles are very 70s! I approve. I can't really see the Karla trilogy working today.

[Bryce (003)]

For my money, it narrowly edges out CR as the best spy novel ever written, so I'm very excited for this movie! But it's not a modern setting; they've kept the Cold War period and the hairstyles are very 70s! I approve. I can't really see the Karla trilogy working today.

VERY cool! Yeah, in thinking about it more, setting it present day would have been a mistake. Now I'm really going to have to dig out my books. Excellent news though.

[marktmurphy]

A trailer has appeared; I think it looks rather classy.

http://www.guardian....ier-spy-traiker