John le Carré’s The Constant Gardener is getting a limited TV series adaptation with a post-pandemic twist. The project hails from The Ink Factory, with His Dark Materials and Noughts + Crosses writer Lydia Adetunji on scripting duties. The Constant Gardener TV series does not have a network or cast attached.
2005’s The Constant Gardener focuses on a widower and horticulturalist named Justin Quayle, who is determined to get to the bottom of a potentially explosive secret involving his wife’s murder, big business, and corporate corruption. Ralph Fiennes plays Quayle in the film, while Rachel Weisz plays an Amnesty International activist named Tessa Quayle. As the plot thickens across Kenya, the UK, and mainland Europe, Justin Quayle becomes exposed to a level of degradation he never dreamed possible. Fernando Meirelles directs the original film, with Weisz winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Tessa.
“It’s thrilling to be reinterpreting The Constant Gardener in a contemporary, post-pandemic context, and to be rooting the story in an authentic, modern Kenya with all of its richness, politics and energy. Lydia’s bold, exciting but also lyrical approach to the adaptation tells a story that keeps the audience on the edge of its seat – intensely relevant in the modern world, and simply beautiful,” said The Ink Factory Co-CEOs Simon Cornwell and Stephen Cornwell.
The Constant Gardener TV series is a contemporary retelling of the original story, set in a post-pandemic world. John le Carré’s tale could lend well to an update with so much corruption and unrest in modern politics. The original film earned $82.4M at the worldwide box office while retaining an 83% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 82%. The film is a critical success, with reviewers describing Meirelles’s movie as a “gripping, smart, and exceptionally-acted thriller.”
Are you a fan of The Constant Gardener? Will the story adapt well to television? Which network will be interested in hosting the project? Who could play Justin and Tessa Quayle in Adetunji’s version? In the comments below, let us know what you think about The Constant Gardener limited TV series project.