‘Legacy of Spies’ Wraps Filming, Unveils First Look Pictures

One of espionage fiction’s most enduring stories is one step closer to returning to the screen.

The BBC and MGM+ have released the first glimpse of Legacy of Spies to mark the end of filming on the highly anticipated eight-part thriller.

Adapted from John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and drawing on additional material from his 2017 novel A Legacy of Spies, the series brings spymaster George Smiley back to television, with two-time Emmy and BAFTA winner Matthew Macfadyen taking on the iconic role.

He stars alongside Charlie Hunnam as Alec Leamas, the embattled and world-weary agent-runner and field operative at the center of the story.

Here is everything we know about Legacy of Spies, including the first look, cast, plot, and when it will premiere.

When will Legacy of Spies premiere?

Production kicked off on Legacy of Spies in April 2026. No date has been set for the eight-part BBC and MGM+ television thriller, but please check back here for updates.

What is Legacy of Spies about?

Legacy of Spies will draw on the material from the 2017 espionage novel by John le Carré, which acts as both a sequel and a prequel to The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It follows a protege of spymaster George Smiley, who is forced to justify past Cold War operations.

According to the logline, Legacy of Spies is “a story of strategy, loyalty, love and betrayal, this new adaptation brings le Carré’s world to a modern audience, capturing the urgency and disruptive spirit of the source material that first electrified readers around the world.”

It is noted as the final novel in the George Smiley series. In the book, Alec Leamas is a figure from the past whose actions in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold are re-examined.

Who stars in Legacy of Spies?

Two-time Emmy winner Matthew Macfadyen will star as spymaster George Smiley — a character previously played by Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Alec Guinness in Smiley’s People  — alongside Charlie Hunnam as maverick field operative Alec Leamas. Joining the duo are Daniel Brühl, who plays Josef Fiedler, a methodical Stasi intelligence strategist, and Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu as Doris Quinz, a young and dynamic East German woman who delivers vital intelligence from the heart of the East German operation. Dan Stevens will take on the iconic role of antagonist Bill Haydon.

Joining Macfadyen and Hunnam is Agnes O’Casey, who joins as Liz Gold with Felix Kammerer as Hans-Dieter Mundt; Volker Bruch, Saskia Rosendahl, Patrick Güldenberg, Safia Oakley-Green, Jake Dunn, and Ariyon Bakare join the ensemble cast.

Who is behind Legacy of Spies?

The series is written and showrun by Stephen Cornwell and Clarissa Ingram, with Michael Lennox serving as lead director.

The series is produced by The Ink Factory in co-production with Amusement Park Film (All Quiet on the Western Front) and in association with 127 Wall Productions and Paramount Television Studios. The series will have its premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK and on MGM+ in the United States.