Tom Hiddleston reveals John Le Carre contributed to new series of The Night Manager

The award-winning cast of the 2016 series of The Night Manager

Tom Hiddleston has revealed that the late John le Carré contributed to the newly announced series of The Night Manager.

The actor, 43, talked about the author’s contribution as he failed to rule out fellow actor Hugh Laurie’s return as the arms-dealing villain.

Speaking after it was announced that the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning series would be renewed after eight years, Hiddleston told late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel that le Carré had “a huge input” on the story.

The two new seasons, which will be filmed in London and South America later this year, are to go beyond the events of le Carré’s 1993 novel.

Hiddleston will return as executive producer as well as play the lead role of the hotel manager turned spy Jonathan Pine.

John le Carré died in 2020, but had huge input” on the story of the forthcoming two series of The Night Manager – BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

Asked by Kimmel why the renewal was coming almost a decade after the first season, the British actor said: “Honestly, we were just trying to get the story right.

“We were talking and working very closely with John le Carré – the great writer who wrote the original novel and many others – who sadly passed away a few years ago. But he’s had a huge input on the story.”

Pressed on Laurie’s return after saying that he would also be an executive producer, Hiddleston said: “I don’t know. He is a huge influence, he knows le Carré better than anyone.”

When Kimmel said his response “feels like a lie”, the actor added: “It’s something we’re still – you know, he is involved as a producer and that’s been great.”

When the late-night show host asked Hiddleston whether he had to “come up with the rest” of the story, the actor responded: “Right, alongside him and his sons, who are the producers.

“And honestly, the first series was one of the most creatively fulfilling projects I have ever worked on. Le Carré’s Jonathan Pine is just complex.”

Le Carré, who died in 2020, left a body of work that is managed by his two sons, Simon and Stephen Cornwell, co-founders of The Ink Factory production company.

Simon and Nick Cornwall manage a body of work left by their father, John le Carré – DAVID ROSE FOR THE TELEGRAPH

Announcing the new seasons, they said that they did not take the decision of going beyond the events in their father’s novel “lightly”, but explained that writer David Farr’s vision for the next chapter was “irresistible”.

Le Carré was understood to have taken a hands-off approach to the first series, which followed Hiddleston as Pine, a former British soldier who is recruited by the manager of a Foreign Office taskforce to infiltrate an arms dealer’s inner circle while he is night manager of a luxury Cairo hotel.

The series became one of the top-rated UK dramas of 2016 and spawned a number of subsequent Le Carré adaptations from The Ink Factory.

The new adaptation, given the go-ahead by Amazon Prime and the BBC, will be set in the present day and will follow Pine facing new challenges after the finale of season one saw arms dealer Richard Roper – played by Laurie – driven away in the back of a van by displeased arms buyers.

Laurie, Hiddelston and Olivia Colman all won Golden Globes for their performances in the series, which also featured Elizabeth Debicki and Tom Hollander.

‘Landmark moment’

Le Carré‘s sons said season one proved “a landmark moment for the golden era of television – uniting on-screen and behind-the-camera talent at the top of their game – and an audience reception which was beyond our wildest imagining”.

They added: “Revisiting the story of Pine also means going beyond the events of John le Carré’s original work: that is a decision we have not taken lightly, but his compelling characters and the vision David [Farr] has for their next chapter were irresistible.”

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