Author’s family blocks Gary Oldman from taking role in classic sequel: “They have no interest”
A critically acclaimed and commercially successful literary adaptation that won plenty of plaudits and awards while turning a tidy profit would be a no-brainer for a sequel when there was still plenty of material left to mine, but Gary Oldman has been denied that opportunity.
It seemed nailed-on for a while, though, with many of the key creatives involved in bringing slow-burning John le Carré espionage thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to the screen throwing their weight behind getting as many members of the band back together as possible to mount follow-up, Smiley’s People.
Helmed by Let the Right One In director Thomas Alfredson, Oldman was joined in the 1970s-set tale of subterfuge by a top-notch roster that numbered Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Stephen Graham, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, and Mark Strong, to name just a few of the heavyweight talents.
The film recouped its production budget more than four times over at the global box office, earning Oldman an Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Actor’ to go along with additional nods for ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’ and ‘Best Original Score’. It also landed a dozen nominations at the Baftas, winning two, including ‘Outstanding British Film’.
Oldman and Alfredson were enthusiastic about the prospect of a sequel, but as more time wore on, the chances began to diminish. The rights to the George Smiley stories eventually reverted back to le Carré’s estate, with the leading man’s manager, Douglas Urbanski, admitting they’ve got no plans to bring his client back into the fold.
“That’s an odd story,” he confessed to Radio Times. “We loved Tinker, and we started to do prep for Gary to do Smiley’s People, and suddenly, there was an unexpected rights issue. We’ve reached out, including again recently, to le Carré’s sons, and – the damndest thing – they have no interest in Gary playing Smiley again. I don’t know why.”
Alfredson suggested that the late author’s estate was planning to reboot the Smiley character for the small screen, which would presumably rule Oldman out of the equation. It’s strange to actively rebel against the prospect of getting an Oscar-winning actor back into a part he’s got a great affinity for, especially when Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was more successful, but le Carré’s children think the character would be better served anchoring a long-form television series.
Disappointing for Oldman, sure, but he’s moved seamlessly on to Slow Horses figurehead Jackson Lamb, giving him another beleaguered operative to sink his teeth into.
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