A Second Season of Critically Acclaimed Series 'The Night Manager' Is in the Works
Tom Hiddleston in "The Night Manager" Season 1
(Photo: Des Willie/AMC)
It is a truth universally acknowledged within the entertainment industry that even the most "limited" sorts of limited series aren't necessarily so limited in most cases. (Even if it takes them a better part of a decade to return.) Particularly if they're based on known properties with popular stars attached. So, perhaps it shouldn't surprise anyone that after a seven-year hiatus, the award-winning series The Night Manager is headed back to our screens in the not-so-distant future. A second season is reportedly in the works from Prime Video and the BBC, and star Tom Hiddleston is slated to return as Jonathan Pine.
To be fair, rumors have swirled for years that a follow-up series might be in the offing (likely due to the first installment's prestige bona fides and widespread critical acclaim). But this appears to be the first time the stars have aligned for it to happen.
Based on the acclaimed novel by John le Carre, The Night Manager follows the story of Hiddleston's Pine, a former British soldier turned hotel night porter recruited by a Foreign Office taskforce manager to spy on an international businessman suspected of arms and intelligence dealing. Pine attempts to infiltrate his inner circle by becoming a felon, all while keeping his mission secret from his colleagues and girlfriend.
According to Deadline, Season 2 will film in London and South America later this year. And though its return has yet to be formally announced by Prime Video or the BBC, Deadline also reports that the pick-up will be for two additional seasons.
The star-studded first season premiered in 2016 on AMC and featured such familiar faces as Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman, Elizabeth Debicki, Tom Hollander, and more. It was nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Best Limited Series, and Laurie, Colman, and Hiddleston all took home Golden Globes for their performances. At the moment, Hiddleston is the only name attached to Season 2.
Season 1 of The Night Manager concluded with British arms dealer Richard Roper (Laurie) being taken away by the Syrians. The second season will reportedly begin when Pine learns of his former adversary’s death two years ago, and he now has to face a new, more dangerous challenge.
David Farr, who wrote the original six-part miniseries, will also pen Season 2, with The Ink Factory, run by le Carré’s sons Simon and Stephen Cornwell, producing. No timeline for release has been announced yet, but with filming not stated to start until later in 2023, we’re most likely looking at a 2024 premiere.
