Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Sequel in the Works

Posted by on December 13th, 2012   Filed under: Books/Comics, Drama, Thriller
Source: Collider

Out of all the movies I had high hopes for in 2011, Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was easily one of my biggest disappointments. I desperately wanted to like the film, but found it so completely dry and inert that I simply could not get invested in it. Even now as I think about it, I feel like it was more my fault than the movie’s fault and I want to give it another chance. However, in the meantime, it appears that we may again see Gary Oldman return to his Oscar-nominated role as George Smiley in the near future. A sequel to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is reportedly in development and will likely draw from another John le Carre novel featuring the character.

The good folks over at Collider recently had a chance to speak with producer Eric Fellner during a press day for Les Miserables. Here’s what he had to say about a sequel to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy:

“We are working on another one. [Producer] Tim Bevan is putting it together as we speak with [screenwriter] Peter Straughan and Tomas Alfredson, so yes it’s in development… It did unbelievably well and it didn’t cost hardly anything… But things take time. Tim is passionate about making sure we do another one.”

Although he didn’t reveal what the source material might be, the general belief is that they will base it on Smiley’s People, the third in a trilogy that revolves around Smiley. It was previously adapted for the BBC and starred Alec Guinness, who also played George Smiley in the 1979 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy mini-series. I’m not quite sure why in both cases they would choose to skip over the second book, The Honourable Schoolboy, but perhaps it is because it takes place in Hong Kong.

There are also a couple of other Le Carre adaptations in the works including A Most Wanted Man, directed by Anton Corbijn and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Our Kind of Traitor, which is being helmed by Justin Kurzel (The Snowtown Murders) and will apparently star Mads Mikkelsen. Are you excited about a possible sequel to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy?



  • La Menthe

    Sean, how could you call Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy a disappointment? It was a great spy thriller! It captured the atmosphere of classic vintage films amazingly. Whereas other period pieces often are pretty straightforward, with the main focus on a visual setting from the time itself (fashion, music, architecture), this one actually manages to capture the essence of the old spy thrillers (which are indeed long and slow) pretty good. Thomas Alfredson has purposely stripped Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy of suspense, modern fast-clipping and action scenes .

    You should really give it another change. I myself liked it considerably more the second time, when I already knew the story and was able to focus on other elements of the films. It’s a really well directed film — and is only short of, as mentioned, the modern entertainment elements, that Alfredson had deliberately removed.

  • La Menthe

    Another change*

  • La Menthe

    Another chance*

    Damn you edit button; where are you hiding?!

  • Paul Andrews

    Biggest disappointments ? Amazing film. You should try the Sir Alec Guiness TV series and then revisit.

  • La Menthe

    I completely agree with the parts that didn’t need CGI at all — this upset me mainly because I hate the use of CGI in films in general. I noticed how some of del Toro’s touch was noticeable in the creative art in this film (like the awesome messenger orc that had a wheel, as part of his body, stuck to a line of rope as a way of transport). The extensive use of CGI, however, is what saddened me about his departure; I’m pretty sure he would have forced make-up upon a large number of the creatures (such as the villain orc, and almost all orcs in general) if he had stayed.

    Some CGI-scenes were awful to watch too. The most noticeable was the retelling of Erebor and Smaug’s invasion, and the ending with Smaug hiding in the gold.

  • Steve

    Were you commenting while drinking, La Menthe?