‘Big Little Lies’ star will lead cast of BBC’s 1970s-set ‘The Night Manager’ follow-up

The cast for the BBC’s upcoming adaptation of John le Carré’s The Little Drummer Girl has attracted a number of big Hollywood names.

From the makers of 2016’s acclaimed The Night Manager mini-series, the new six-part thriller sees acclaimed South Korean director Park Chan-wook (Old Boy, The Handmaiden, Stoker) make his television debut.

Joining British actress Florence Pugh (Lady Macbeth) are Golden Globe Award-winner Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies, True Blood) and Academy Award nominated Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Nocturnal Animals).

The official synopsis reads: “Set in the late 1970s, The Little Drummer Girl weaves a dynamic and exciting story of espionage and international intrigue; of love and betrayal. In this high-stakes drama, set against the background of rising tensions in the Middle East, a young, brilliant actress Charlie prepares for her ultimate role in ‘the theatre of the real’.”

The cast also includes Max Irons (The White Queen), Michael Moshonov (The City and the City), Charif Ghattas (After the Ashes), Amir Khoury (Fauda), Katharina Schüttler (Dogs of Berlin), Simona Brown (Kiss Me First) and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones).

Director Park Chan-wook previously commented: “Of le Carré’s many masterpieces, the one I love ahead of any other is The Little Drummer Girl. At the core of this story is an extremely painful, but thrilling, romance. This is what makes the story universal, reaching beyond borders and languages and remaining incredibly current.”

The Night Manager is out now on DVD.

The Little Drummer Girl is expected to air later in 2018 on BBC One in the UK and on AMC in the US.