Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is happening again.
Fresh from the success of highly acclaimed vampire movie “Let The Right One In,” award-winning Swedish director Tomas Alfredson has signed on as director on Working Title upcoming project “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” the company announced Thursday.
The new feature film adaptation of John Le Carre’s seminal cold war best-seller is being produced by Working Title’s co-chairmen Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, and marks their next collaboration with Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Peter Morgan (“Frost/Nixon,” “The Queen”) and will be exec-produced by Debra Hayward, Liza Chasin, John Le Carre and Peter Morgan.
But what British actor can hope to fill Alec Guinness’s shoes?
Who would you cast as the “old, estranged, overweight, taciturn and sharp-minded protagonist”?
It’s the “overweight” that… um… narrows the field, isn’t it?
How about Anthony Hopkins? He’s not overweight, but he could easily convince us that he was.
If Alan Rickman put on some weight, I’d love to see him take it on.
If Ricky Gervais gained a few pounds and took on a dramatic role… or Eddie Izzard, for that matter… but they’d both have to play much older than they are.
Michael Gambon?
Gary Oldman? He can do anything.
Ahh… but if I’m going to nominate actors who can transform themselves and do anything, then the choice is obvious:
Helen Mirren.
If it’s a prequel, I think they’re contractually obligated to give the role to Ewan McGregor.
Hmmm…. do I smell a comeback film for Ned Beatty? Paul Dooley?
Or perhaps the star at the helm of the top-grossing film of the summer? (At least, until Transformers:ROTFL took it over). That’s right… ED ASNER.
I think Matt Damon already nailed that role in “The Good Shepherd.”
Geoffrey Rush.
Ooooh. I like that! Rush is Australian, but he could easily play a Brit. And he needs a project worthy of his formidable talents. Best idea I’ve heard yet, Bart!
FWIW, Rush co-starred in a previous Le Carre adaptation, The Tailor of Panama. His son was played by a wee lad named Daniel Radcliffe, who went on to star in some wizard movie or other.
And maybe… Ben Kingsley?
If you are looking at someone who can do or play anything, wouldn’t that be Daniel Day Lewis 🙂
Richard Harris would have been my first pick, but as he’s passed on, my money’s on Michael Gambon.
Poor Michael, hanging out in Richard’s shadow.
Although no one does “taciturn” like Alan Rickman.
Note to zalm: props for the Ewan MacGregor line.