Gary Oldman set to star in director Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

The news of John Le Carré’s excellent Cold War spy novel TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY becoming the next feature film for director Tomas Alfredson – the guy behind 2008’s fantastic LET THE RIGHT ONE IN – is actually a bit old (from last year in fact). But, the casting news is not, and boy howdy could we be getting one hell of a British line-up.

According to Production Weekly, confirmed for the lead role of retired intelligence agent George Smiley is Gary Oldman (THE BOOK OF ELI, THE DARK KNIGHT). And potentially joining him are actors Colin Firth (A SINGLE MAN), Michael Fassbender (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS), and David Thewlis (HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE), all of whom are currently in negotiations for roles in Alfredson’s adaptation. Wonderful cast in a good ol’ fashioned spy flick? Yes, please!

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY – being adapted by Peter Morgan (FROST/NIXON, THE QUEEN) with help from Le Carré – is about retired intelligence agent George Smiley who’s called back to service when a high-ranking member of MI6 is suspected of being a Soviet mole. The story is the first in the Karla Trilogy which is followed up by The Hounourable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People.

Production on TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY is set to begin this September.