After his Churchill challenge Oldman eyes up Smiley — again
GARY OLDMAN, fresh from his triumph as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, is in talks about donning the spectacles of master spycatcher George Smiley once again.
Oldman played Smiley in the film version of John le Carre’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which was released in 2011.
His talks with Working Title, the Londonbased studio behind Darkest Hour and the le Carre picture, include the possibility of him both starring in and directing the film of le Carre’s 1979 novel Smiley’s People, which follows the Intelligence boss’s pursuit of Karla, the genius head of Soviet espionage.
Smiley’s People was the last of le Carre’s so-called Karla trilogy, which began with Tinker Tailor. Alec Guinness famously played Smiley in the six-hour 1979 BBC TV drama of Tinker Tailor and again in 1982’s six-part Smiley’s People.
The new project is in what’s known as ‘aggressive development’ by Working Title, but there are still some technical and legal issues to be sorted out.
Oldman is a serious film awards contender for his superb performance in Darkest Hour, (out here on January 12) and is sure to be busy at the Golden Globe Awards on January 8. The Screen Actors Guild Awards are a fortnight later and there is every expectation of him receiving Bafta and Oscar nominations, so I expect talks over Smiley’s People to take some time.
Working Title have other stars up for trophies, too: Judi Dench’s Empress of India in Victoria & Abdul; and Ansel Elgort in Baby Driver, a Working Title co-production.