Los Angeles, Feb 15 (Ians) Indian-origin actress Indira Varma, who is known for ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1’, and ‘Homeland’ actor Raza Jaffrey are set to co-host a new espionage podcast for Wondery.
Indira is the child of an Indian father and a Swiss mother who was of part Genoese Italian descent. Her mother was a graphic designer and her father was an illustrator.
The logline of the podcast reads “Each season goes deep into the real-life story of a special agent, unearthing daring missions, double crosses and dangerous liaisons,” reports Variety.
Season 1 is titled ‘The Spy Who Inspired 007’ and tells the story of Serbian spook Dusko Popov, who worked for MI5, MI6 and the FBI during World War II.
With a reputation for women, gambling and intrepidness, it’s no wonder Popov is said to be the inspiration for James Bond.
As per Variety, legend has it that when Bond...
Indira is the child of an Indian father and a Swiss mother who was of part Genoese Italian descent. Her mother was a graphic designer and her father was an illustrator.
The logline of the podcast reads “Each season goes deep into the real-life story of a special agent, unearthing daring missions, double crosses and dangerous liaisons,” reports Variety.
Season 1 is titled ‘The Spy Who Inspired 007’ and tells the story of Serbian spook Dusko Popov, who worked for MI5, MI6 and the FBI during World War II.
With a reputation for women, gambling and intrepidness, it’s no wonder Popov is said to be the inspiration for James Bond.
As per Variety, legend has it that when Bond...
- 2/15/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
In 2016, John le Carré published a memoir called “The Pigeon Tunnel,” which the late spy novelist — who died in late 2020 — claims had been the working title of nearly all his books at some point. For le Carré, the term describes the passage through which naive birds of sport were forced from their nests, only to emerge as targets for marksmen waiting with rifles poised at a hotel in Monte Carlo. That’s just one of several metaphors Le Carré uses to communicate his cynical worldview in a playful portrait from Errol Morris, whose career-long interest in truth and delusion fits his subject so well, the whole film ultimately feels like a bit of a ploy.
For starters, there was no such person as John le Carré, a pseudonym adopted by David Cornwell, an Oxford-educated ex-spy who turned to literature to process the absurdity of England’s so-called “intelligence” industry, which Cornwell slyly dubbed “the Circus.
For starters, there was no such person as John le Carré, a pseudonym adopted by David Cornwell, an Oxford-educated ex-spy who turned to literature to process the absurdity of England’s so-called “intelligence” industry, which Cornwell slyly dubbed “the Circus.
- 10/20/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
A former spy, literary genius, and most importantly, a masterful storyteller, David Cornwell narrated much of his life in polished literary language in his biographical documentary The Pigeon Tunnel directed by Errol Morris. The Apple documentary film is a perfect character study of David Cornwell, a spy who hid his entire past life behind a pen name: John Le Carre. Although Errol Morris’s interview style is somewhat interrogative, in The Pigeon Tunnel, we find Morris in a very friendly mood. Almost entirely behind the camera, Morris becomes an important pillar throughout the film at times. Not only do we get to know more about Cornwell’s life, his ideology, and his writings, but there is a friendly and serene chemistry between him and Morris.
The Pigeon Tunnel is cinematically enriched in every way. Centered on famous espionage novelist David Cornwell, aka John Le Carre, the film has a dark,...
The Pigeon Tunnel is cinematically enriched in every way. Centered on famous espionage novelist David Cornwell, aka John Le Carre, the film has a dark,...
- 10/20/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
Errol Morris is not one for adversarial interviews. Whether he’s talking to alleged murderers or mourning pet owners, defense secretaries or political svengalis — the documentarian has no interest in moving deftly through a list of questions until he gets to some satisfying gotcha. He’d rather just talk it out, see where things go.
That’s not to say he isn’t up for some sparring, at least when he’s the one being interviewed. When we meet in a New York City hotel room turned press-junket base camp earlier this month,...
That’s not to say he isn’t up for some sparring, at least when he’s the one being interviewed. When we meet in a New York City hotel room turned press-junket base camp earlier this month,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
You’ve no doubt heard of John le Carré––at least for the film adaptations of his novels, among them The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, A Most Wanted Man, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Before his death in 2020, the prolific and wildly successful author (real name: David Cornwell) sat down with Errol Morris to discuss his career, his childhood, and the nature of truth. The result is The Pigeon Tunnel, adapted from le Carré’s 2016 memoir of the same name. Revolving entirely around interviews with Cornwell, The Pigeon Tunnel proves a worthy watch for the novelist’s fans. It’s also too shallow to really captivate a layperson.
That’s not to say Cornwell is a trifling subject. He speaks like a writer, conjuring delightful phrases out of thin air. At the start he describes Morris’s filmmaking style thusly: “Sometimes you’re a spectral figure, sometimes you’re God,...
That’s not to say Cornwell is a trifling subject. He speaks like a writer, conjuring delightful phrases out of thin air. At the start he describes Morris’s filmmaking style thusly: “Sometimes you’re a spectral figure, sometimes you’re God,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Lena Wilson
- The Film Stage
Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris unveiled his new documentary The Pigeon Tunnel – about the spy-turned-novelist David Cornwell, aka John le Carré – at the Telluride Film Festival on Friday. Audience buzz afterwards ranked it among Morris’s best work, a canon that includes the classics The Thin Blue Line and Gates of Heaven.
Morris said it took years for The Pigeon Tunnel to be completed. But during a Q&a, he referenced a different endeavor that apparently isn’t fated to come together – a nascent documentary project on former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The controversial figure who guided American foreign policy during the Nixon and Ford administrations recently reached the century mark.
Henry Kissinger celebrates his 100th birthday in Bavaria, June 20, 2023.
“Someone wanted me to interview quite recently, on the occasion of his hundredth birthday, Henry Kissinger,” Morris told the audience at the Chuck Jones Theater in Mountain Village. “And as my wife has pointed out,...
Morris said it took years for The Pigeon Tunnel to be completed. But during a Q&a, he referenced a different endeavor that apparently isn’t fated to come together – a nascent documentary project on former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The controversial figure who guided American foreign policy during the Nixon and Ford administrations recently reached the century mark.
Henry Kissinger celebrates his 100th birthday in Bavaria, June 20, 2023.
“Someone wanted me to interview quite recently, on the occasion of his hundredth birthday, Henry Kissinger,” Morris told the audience at the Chuck Jones Theater in Mountain Village. “And as my wife has pointed out,...
- 9/2/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Do enough profiles or conduct enough interviews, and you develop a sixth sense that tingles when your subject utters words you know would make a good lede. Sometimes in that moment it’s hard to resist a tiny fist-pump.
Errol Morris’ new documentary The Pigeon Tunnel begins with such a moment. David Cornwell, known to the world at large as John le Carré, pauses and asks Morris about the role that the filmmaker hopes to play in their conversation.
“You need to know something about the ambitions of the people you’re talking to,” Cornwell observes.
Morris, of course, is a director so invested in the interaction between interviewer and subject that he developed a piece of technology dubbed the Interrotron to facilitate conversations more freely. It’s hard to imagine there’s anything he enjoys more than epistemological chatter of this sort — with the possible exception of finding himself...
Errol Morris’ new documentary The Pigeon Tunnel begins with such a moment. David Cornwell, known to the world at large as John le Carré, pauses and asks Morris about the role that the filmmaker hopes to play in their conversation.
“You need to know something about the ambitions of the people you’re talking to,” Cornwell observes.
Morris, of course, is a director so invested in the interaction between interviewer and subject that he developed a piece of technology dubbed the Interrotron to facilitate conversations more freely. It’s hard to imagine there’s anything he enjoys more than epistemological chatter of this sort — with the possible exception of finding himself...
- 9/1/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Are you craving some spy action? If you’ve exhausted the Bond franchise, completed the Mission: Impossible collection, and revisited the Bourne movies more times than is medically advisable, perhaps it’s time to look to television.
A lot of different shows come under the heading of a “spy thriller”. You’ll find action, family drama, comedy, politics and even the odd alien invasion all represented in this list. But there are a few things that they all have in common. They all feature twists and turns and characters keeping deep, dark secrets. They all have a tendency towards ruthlessness – don’t get too attached to any one person! The possibility that any character in the show might be killed off at any moment, up to and including the protagonist, is one of the things that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. And they are all compelling, unmissable TV.
A lot of different shows come under the heading of a “spy thriller”. You’ll find action, family drama, comedy, politics and even the odd alien invasion all represented in this list. But there are a few things that they all have in common. They all feature twists and turns and characters keeping deep, dark secrets. They all have a tendency towards ruthlessness – don’t get too attached to any one person! The possibility that any character in the show might be killed off at any moment, up to and including the protagonist, is one of the things that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. And they are all compelling, unmissable TV.
- 7/24/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Q. Detective Inspector Nicki Jennings, school headteacher Sita Anwar, nuclear physicist Ulanya Khomyuk, and MI5 spycatcher Lily Thomas… what do they have in common?
A. They’re all intelligent, high-achieving, mostly working class, female characters from period-set true story TV dramas, but unlike their castmates with real-world counterparts, none of them really existed.
At the end of a true-story drama, when the moment comes for viewers to see the real people the actors have been playing, the above lot have no accompanying photograph or news footage. Their roles are patchworks, either several real-world figures rolled into one, or wish-fulfilment created to open up storytelling perspectives. Wherever history hasn’t traditionally allowed women in, or wherever history books have failed to commemorate women’s work as (cough) rigorously as that of men, some screenwriters have opted to put their thumb on the scales.
MI5 intelligence officer Lily Thomas, played by Anna Maxwell Martin...
A. They’re all intelligent, high-achieving, mostly working class, female characters from period-set true story TV dramas, but unlike their castmates with real-world counterparts, none of them really existed.
At the end of a true-story drama, when the moment comes for viewers to see the real people the actors have been playing, the above lot have no accompanying photograph or news footage. Their roles are patchworks, either several real-world figures rolled into one, or wish-fulfilment created to open up storytelling perspectives. Wherever history hasn’t traditionally allowed women in, or wherever history books have failed to commemorate women’s work as (cough) rigorously as that of men, some screenwriters have opted to put their thumb on the scales.
MI5 intelligence officer Lily Thomas, played by Anna Maxwell Martin...
- 7/11/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
This article contains spoilers
Secret Invasion is not the first time the MCU has dipped its toe into the spy genre; Captain America: The Winter Soldier has been a fan favorite among MCU films since it was released in 2014. But Secret Invasion, a show following not superheroes (Rhodey aside), but human spies and aliens posing as humans, embraces the spy genre more than anything we’ve seen yet. With Russia back in the bad guy role, the show draws on the best spy dramas of the Cold War, and with London featuring quite heavily in its story and the British Prime Minister having a major role, a lot of those dramas are British spy classics.
The best known British spy dramas are, of course, the James Bond novels and the films inspired by them. Author Ian Fleming had worked for the British Naval Intelligence Division in World War Two, so...
Secret Invasion is not the first time the MCU has dipped its toe into the spy genre; Captain America: The Winter Soldier has been a fan favorite among MCU films since it was released in 2014. But Secret Invasion, a show following not superheroes (Rhodey aside), but human spies and aliens posing as humans, embraces the spy genre more than anything we’ve seen yet. With Russia back in the bad guy role, the show draws on the best spy dramas of the Cold War, and with London featuring quite heavily in its story and the British Prime Minister having a major role, a lot of those dramas are British spy classics.
The best known British spy dramas are, of course, the James Bond novels and the films inspired by them. Author Ian Fleming had worked for the British Naval Intelligence Division in World War Two, so...
- 7/3/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
The story of Kim Philby, the high-ranking British intelligence official who turned out to be one of the biggest double agents in U.K. history, is well known at this point. Dozens of books, fiction and nonfiction, have been written about how Philby took in the great and the good of MI6 and the CIA for decades before he finally had to flee across the Iron Curtain in 1963.
Related Stories How Jason Momoa’s Outrageous ‘Fast X’ Character Became Equal Parts Python and Peacock AI Becomes Him: How De-Aging Progressed from ‘Benjamin Button’ to ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’
This version of Philby, played with the kind of rumpled fatalism only Guy Pierce can muster, spends a lot of time keeping those friends close at the cost of his own soul, particularly Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis). But MGM Television’s “A Spy Among Friends,” which traces Philby and...
Related Stories How Jason Momoa’s Outrageous ‘Fast X’ Character Became Equal Parts Python and Peacock AI Becomes Him: How De-Aging Progressed from ‘Benjamin Button’ to ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’
This version of Philby, played with the kind of rumpled fatalism only Guy Pierce can muster, spends a lot of time keeping those friends close at the cost of his own soul, particularly Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis). But MGM Television’s “A Spy Among Friends,” which traces Philby and...
- 5/22/2023
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
Adapted from the New York Times best-selling book, ‘A Spy Among Friends’ is a show that narrates the true story of two British spies and lifelong friends, Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby. The plot is rich in anecdotes and gives you a deep insight into the historical happenings of the 60s.
The show is based on actual events involving Russian spies infiltrating British security forces from the time of the emergence of Nazi Germany. It further takes the viewers all the way until the early 1960s, when the spies’ cover was blown and they fled the country.
A Spy Among Friends is bound to blow your mind. Let’s have a look at why you should not miss this show!
Unexpected Revelations
Nicholas Elliott is in grave shock when he learns the truth about his best friend Kim Philby. Kim’s interaction with the Kgb and his recent defection to...
The show is based on actual events involving Russian spies infiltrating British security forces from the time of the emergence of Nazi Germany. It further takes the viewers all the way until the early 1960s, when the spies’ cover was blown and they fled the country.
A Spy Among Friends is bound to blow your mind. Let’s have a look at why you should not miss this show!
Unexpected Revelations
Nicholas Elliott is in grave shock when he learns the truth about his best friend Kim Philby. Kim’s interaction with the Kgb and his recent defection to...
- 4/19/2023
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
“It really is a show about friendship against the backdrop of espionage,” A Spy Among Friends creator Alexander Cary said at a panel for Deadline’s Contenders TV event. Cary was joined by star Damian Lewis to discuss the MGM+ series.
Set in England in 1963, the espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends centers around Nicholas Elliot (Damien Lewis), an MI6 intelligence officer who is distraught when he discovers that his close friend, Kim Philby (Guy Pearce), is a double agent working for the Soviet Union. It also stars Anna Maxwell Martin and Adrian Edmondson.
Related: Deadline Contenders Television 2023 Arrivals & Panels Gallery
“One of the brilliant things about spy stuff,” said Cary, “is that so much of it is secret, so much of it is left to the imagination. That opens the door for people like me to come in… and fill in the blanks.”
“[Nicholas Elliot] was an interesting way into an otherwise quite well-known story,...
Set in England in 1963, the espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends centers around Nicholas Elliot (Damien Lewis), an MI6 intelligence officer who is distraught when he discovers that his close friend, Kim Philby (Guy Pearce), is a double agent working for the Soviet Union. It also stars Anna Maxwell Martin and Adrian Edmondson.
Related: Deadline Contenders Television 2023 Arrivals & Panels Gallery
“One of the brilliant things about spy stuff,” said Cary, “is that so much of it is secret, so much of it is left to the imagination. That opens the door for people like me to come in… and fill in the blanks.”
“[Nicholas Elliot] was an interesting way into an otherwise quite well-known story,...
- 4/16/2023
- by Ryan Fleming
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: A Spy Among Friends, the story of British spies Kim Philby and Nicholas Elliott that stars Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce, recently premiered on MGM+.
The series, which is produced by Sony Pictures Television, is based on Ben Macintyre’s eponymous book. Alexander Cary, who exec produced Lewis-fronted Homeland, created the A Spy Among Friends TV series.
Cary and Lewis, who also exec produced the MGM+ period drama, were at Deadline TV Contenders to talk up the show. They are now turning their attention to more Macintryre books for the small screen.
First up is an adaptation of The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War. The book tells the story of Oleg Gordievsky, a former Kgb colonel who became a bureau chief in London and was a double agent, providing information to the British secret intelligence service MI6.
It tells the story of how,...
The series, which is produced by Sony Pictures Television, is based on Ben Macintyre’s eponymous book. Alexander Cary, who exec produced Lewis-fronted Homeland, created the A Spy Among Friends TV series.
Cary and Lewis, who also exec produced the MGM+ period drama, were at Deadline TV Contenders to talk up the show. They are now turning their attention to more Macintryre books for the small screen.
First up is an adaptation of The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War. The book tells the story of Oleg Gordievsky, a former Kgb colonel who became a bureau chief in London and was a double agent, providing information to the British secret intelligence service MI6.
It tells the story of how,...
- 4/16/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The new six-episode dramatic TV series "A Spy Among Friends", based on the novel by Ben Macintyre, stars Damian Lewis ("Band Of Brothers") and Guy Pearce ("Memento"), with Anna Maxwell Martin, Stephen Kunken and Adrian Edmondson, now streaming On MGM+:
“…the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
“…the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 3/26/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
The new six-episode dramatic TV series "A Spy Among Friends", based on the novel by Ben Macintyre, stars Damian Lewis ("Band Of Brothers") and Guy Pearce ("Memento"), with Anna Maxwell Martin, Stephen Kunken and Adrian Edmondson, now streaming On MGM+:
“…the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
“…the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 3/16/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Spies have always been the center of action thrillers like the James Bond and Jason Bourne franchises. But, a new breed of espionage story has become popular in recent years. Chronicling the more realistic world of spycraft, which involves psychological measures on the spies and their targets, this new type of story trades explosions and car chases for dialogue and back-room dealings. While that may sound less exciting, you have not seen A Spy Among Friends (read our review).
Telling the true story of Kim Philby and Nicholas Elliott, A Spy Among Friends tells the intricate and complex path that led to the discovery of a network of Soviet spies operating within the British secret intelligence agency. Based on the acclaimed book by Ben MacIntyre, A Spy Among Friends dramatizes how Elliott and Philby, long-time friends and colleagues, played a cat-and-mouse game with each other that eventually led to one...
Telling the true story of Kim Philby and Nicholas Elliott, A Spy Among Friends tells the intricate and complex path that led to the discovery of a network of Soviet spies operating within the British secret intelligence agency. Based on the acclaimed book by Ben MacIntyre, A Spy Among Friends dramatizes how Elliott and Philby, long-time friends and colleagues, played a cat-and-mouse game with each other that eventually led to one...
- 3/15/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
If you like your international intrigue mixed with a dash of personal turmoil, MGM+ has the series for you. Based on the best-selling book by Ben Macintyre, the six-episode series “A Spy Among Friends” dramatizes the true story of Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, two British spies and lifelong friends. However, Elliot is left in turmoil when he learns Philby had been secretly working as a double agent for the Kgb and has defected to the Soviet Union. The series premieres on Sunday, March 12 on MGM+. You can watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of MGM+.
How to Watch 'A Spy Among Friends' Series Premiere When: Sunday, March 12, 2023 Where: MGM+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of MGM+. 7-Day Free Trial$5.99 / month via amazon.com About 'A Spy Among Friends' Series Premiere
The series dramatizes the British spies and lifelong friends Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis) and Kim Philby (Guy Pearce...
How to Watch 'A Spy Among Friends' Series Premiere When: Sunday, March 12, 2023 Where: MGM+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of MGM+. 7-Day Free Trial$5.99 / month via amazon.com About 'A Spy Among Friends' Series Premiere
The series dramatizes the British spies and lifelong friends Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis) and Kim Philby (Guy Pearce...
- 3/12/2023
- by Jessica Lerner
- The Streamable
The story of Kim Philby is perhaps too good to make up. The British spy, a double agent for Moscow, operated at the highest levels of the intelligence community; his ability to disseminate information to the Soviet Union, to which he eventually defected, is proof, perhaps, of the power of personal charm and erudition to cover over what’s lying in plain sight.
That’s the powerfully told story of “A Spy Among Friends,” which streamed on Itvx in the United Kingdom last year and which now arrives on nascent streamer MGM+. Guy Pearce plays Philby, who has at the series’ outset been a valued Soviet source for many years; likely his closest friend in tradecraft, Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis), must get a confession from him. We see the pair’s relationship over time in layered flashbacks, adding context and understanding to Elliott’s failure to nail down Philby.
The...
That’s the powerfully told story of “A Spy Among Friends,” which streamed on Itvx in the United Kingdom last year and which now arrives on nascent streamer MGM+. Guy Pearce plays Philby, who has at the series’ outset been a valued Soviet source for many years; likely his closest friend in tradecraft, Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis), must get a confession from him. We see the pair’s relationship over time in layered flashbacks, adding context and understanding to Elliott’s failure to nail down Philby.
The...
- 3/12/2023
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Damian Lewis, who won an Emmy for playing Marine double agent Nicholas Brody on Homeland, is back in the spy game as a patriot in MGM+‘s A Spy Among Friends, a tense adaptation of Ben Macintyre’s nonfiction bestseller. Lewis is a reserved British intelligence man, Nicholas Elliott, who discovers that his best friend and colleague, the witty, charismatic Kim Philby (Guy Pearce) is a traitor. The case, which broke in the early 60s after Philby had spied for 30 years, became notorious in the U.K. When speaking with the cast recently, we asked which of them would make a better undercover operative in real life. Lewis enthusiastically endorsed Pearce, saying, “I’d be a terrible spy. Those moments in our lives when we’ve had a little secrecy, it’s kind of intoxicating, it’s a little bit of fun, you go, ‘that’s really great, no one knows what I’m doing,...
- 3/10/2023
- TV Insider
Plot: Based on the New York Times best-selling book written by Ben Macintyre, this six-episode limited series dramatizes the true story of two British spies and lifelong friends, Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby. The latter became the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history. Philby’s deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence.
Review: The story of Kim Philby, one of the most notorious spies discovered during the Cold War, has been told many times over in both books and documentaries. While speculative stories and alternate histories abound, Philby’s tale has inspired John Le Carre’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and the Matt Damon film The Good Shepherd. While these stories and adaptations have been interesting, the true story is fascinating in its own right. The new limited series A Spy Among Friends...
Review: The story of Kim Philby, one of the most notorious spies discovered during the Cold War, has been told many times over in both books and documentaries. While speculative stories and alternate histories abound, Philby’s tale has inspired John Le Carre’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and the Matt Damon film The Good Shepherd. While these stories and adaptations have been interesting, the true story is fascinating in its own right. The new limited series A Spy Among Friends...
- 3/9/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
If you learned your closest friend was a spy, would you help him evade justice? That’s the looming question in A Spy Among Friends, a slow-burn adaptation of Ben Macintyre’s nonfiction bestseller about an infamous U.K. traitor. The limited series opens in 1963 with reserved British intelligence man Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis) being questioned by no-nonsense Lily Thomas (Anna Maxwell Martin) of the U.K.’s domestic intelligence agency MI5. The topic: Elliott’s role in the defection of his chum since the ’40s, charming Kim Philby (Guy Pearce), who has been outed as a double agent. Recruited by the Soviets as a university student at Cambridge in 1933, Philby rose to become head of counterespionage for MI6, the foreign intelligence unit that also encompasses the U.K. Which meant he was in charge of rooting out traitors like himself! (Credit: MGM+) There’s a good reason suspicion has...
- 2/24/2023
- TV Insider
Harry Lime in "The Third Man" is one of cinema's greatest villains and certainly not the kind of person you'd want to spend much time with in real life. He's a sociopathic black marketeer whose cynical line in diluted penicillin causes untold suffering and death to his many child victims. Yet, played with typical charm and devilment by Orson Welles, he is simply irresistible. Even on repeat viewing with full knowledge of his heinous activities, it's impossible not to be captivated by him from the moment he first appears in a doorway with an incorrigible smirk spread across that big moon of a face.
Lime is onscreen for less than 10 minutes but he may be Welles' greatest performance as an actor, tapping into the elusive enigma of the multi-faceted artist and self-proclaimed charlatan. After leaving the U.S. for self-imposed exile in Europe in 1947, he took the role for money,...
Lime is onscreen for less than 10 minutes but he may be Welles' greatest performance as an actor, tapping into the elusive enigma of the multi-faceted artist and self-proclaimed charlatan. After leaving the U.S. for self-imposed exile in Europe in 1947, he took the role for money,...
- 2/12/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
The new six-episode dramatic TV series "A Spy Among Friends", based on the novel by Ben Macintyre, stars Damian Lewis ("Band Of Brothers") and Guy Pearce ("Memento"), with Anna Maxwell Martin, Stephen Kunken and Adrian Edmondson, streaming March 12, 2023 on MGM+:
“…the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
“…the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 2/10/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
"He has lied to you, and he has used you, when are you going to accept that?" MGM+ has debuted the full official trailer for the British spy series titled A Spy Among Friends, arriving for streaming in March. The service formerly known as Epix has re-branded as MGM+, with a big line-up set to launch this spring. "The epic true story of Kim Philby, the Cold War's most infamous spy, from the 'master storyteller' and author of Prisoners of the Castle." It's an adaptation of the book of the same name. The UK mini-series stars the very talented actors Guy Pearce and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, real-life 1960s British spies who, despite their opposing allegiances, developed a life-long friendship. It reminds me of the other British spy film The Courier (aka Ironbark) from a few years ago - also about two spies who were friends.
- 2/2/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Being a spy requires a lot of discretion. You have to not only keep most of what you do at work a secret, but you sometimes even have to lie to those closest to you to protect that work. But what happens when your best friend is also a spy? And not only that, what if that best friend who is a spy might also be a double agent, working for the enemy? That drama is what propels the plot of the new limited series, “A Spy Among Friends.”
Read More: The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2023
Based on a true story, “A Spy Among Friends” follows two men, both spies, Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby.
Continue reading ‘A Spy Among Friends’ Trailer: Damian Lewis & Guy Pearce Espionage Series Hits MGM+ In March at The Playlist.
Read More: The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2023
Based on a true story, “A Spy Among Friends” follows two men, both spies, Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby.
Continue reading ‘A Spy Among Friends’ Trailer: Damian Lewis & Guy Pearce Espionage Series Hits MGM+ In March at The Playlist.
- 2/1/2023
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
The new six-episode dramatic TV series "A Spy Among Friends", based on the novel by Ben Macintyre, stars Damian Lewis ("Band Of Brothers") and Guy Pearce ("Memento"), with Anna Maxwell Martin, Stephen Kunken and Adrian Edmondson, streaming March 12, 2023 on MGM+:
“…the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
“…the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 1/25/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
"He works for the Russians. He has lied to you, and he has used you." MGM+ has revealed a quick first look teaser trailer for their upcoming British spy series titled A Spy Among Friends, arriving for streaming in March in a few more months. The service formerly known as Epix has re-branded as MGM+, and they're getting preparing a big line-up this spring. "The epic true story of Kim Philby, the Cold War's most infamous spy, from the 'master storyteller' and author of Prisoners of the Castle." Yes it's an adaptation of the book of the same name. The British mini-series that stars Guy Pearce and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, two real-life 1960s British spies who, despite their opposing allegiances, developed a life-long friendship. This reminds me a bit of the other British spy film The Courier (aka Ironbark) from a few years ago. The...
- 1/20/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
MGM+ (formerly Epix) will launch in the U.S. on January 15.
The rebranded streaming service had an appearance at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour Tuesday, and we got some premiere dates for new and returning shows.
We already knew Godfather of Harlem would start the rebrand, with the third season premiering on January 15.
Murf the Surf follows on February 5, while A Spy Among Friends will arrive on March 12.
From Season 2, meanwhile, will touch down on April 23.
Created by John Griffin (Crater) and produced by Jack Bender and Jeff Pinkner, the series unravels the mystery of a nightmarish town that traps all those who enter.
Harold Perrineau (Lost) leads the cast alongside Catalina Sandino Moreno (The Affair), Eion Bailey (Once Upon a Time), Hannah Cheramy (Van Helsing), and Simon Webster (Strays).
Also starring is Ricky He (The Good Doctor), Chloe Van Landschoot (Skin), Corteon Moore (Utopia Falls), Pegah Ghafoori...
The rebranded streaming service had an appearance at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour Tuesday, and we got some premiere dates for new and returning shows.
We already knew Godfather of Harlem would start the rebrand, with the third season premiering on January 15.
Murf the Surf follows on February 5, while A Spy Among Friends will arrive on March 12.
From Season 2, meanwhile, will touch down on April 23.
Created by John Griffin (Crater) and produced by Jack Bender and Jeff Pinkner, the series unravels the mystery of a nightmarish town that traps all those who enter.
Harold Perrineau (Lost) leads the cast alongside Catalina Sandino Moreno (The Affair), Eion Bailey (Once Upon a Time), Hannah Cheramy (Van Helsing), and Simon Webster (Strays).
Also starring is Ricky He (The Good Doctor), Chloe Van Landschoot (Skin), Corteon Moore (Utopia Falls), Pegah Ghafoori...
- 1/11/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
The new six-episode dramatic TV series "A Spy Among Friends", based on the novel by Ben Macintyre, stars Damian Lewis ("Band Of Brothers") and Guy Pearce ("Memento"), with Anna Maxwell Martin, Stephen Kunken and Adrian Edmondson, streaming March 12, 2023 on MGM+:
"...the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 1/10/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
A Spy Among Friends: Thriller Adaptation Starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce Gets MGM+ Release Date
A March release date has been set for MGM+’s adaptation of Ben Macintyre’s A Spy Among Friends, starring Emmy winners Damian Lewis (Homeland) and Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce).
Specifically, the six-episode limited series will premiere Sunday, March 12, it was announced by MGM+ (fka Epix) at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena.
More from TVLineFROM Season 2: Premiere Date Set for Sci-Fi Horror Series on MGM+Spider-Man Offshoot Silk: Spider Society Greenlit at MGM+, More Live-Action Marvel Shows to FollowEPIX Is Changing Its Name to MGM+
Based on Macintyre’s New York Times bestseller, A Spy Among Friends...
Specifically, the six-episode limited series will premiere Sunday, March 12, it was announced by MGM+ (fka Epix) at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena.
More from TVLineFROM Season 2: Premiere Date Set for Sci-Fi Horror Series on MGM+Spider-Man Offshoot Silk: Spider Society Greenlit at MGM+, More Live-Action Marvel Shows to FollowEPIX Is Changing Its Name to MGM+
Based on Macintyre’s New York Times bestseller, A Spy Among Friends...
- 1/10/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
The world was a different place in 2006 when former Fsb agent Alexander Litvinenko hit global headlines. This was years before Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in 2018, and even longer before its invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. This was a strange time when Vladimir Putin was still hanging out with George W Bush and Tony Blair; still a tolerated member of the international community. But, as screenwriter George Kay’s new drama on the Itvx streaming service shows, that all began to change with a drop of polonium in a teapot.
The Litvinenko story unravelled extremely quickly. Three weeks after falling ill, Litvinenko was dead – and by that point, his face had been splashed on newspapers around the world. Kay’s series takes the same approach: within the first few seconds, Litvinenko is vomiting into a toilet. By the end of the episode, he will be dead.
The Litvinenko story unravelled extremely quickly. Three weeks after falling ill, Litvinenko was dead – and by that point, his face had been splashed on newspapers around the world. Kay’s series takes the same approach: within the first few seconds, Litvinenko is vomiting into a toilet. By the end of the episode, he will be dead.
- 12/15/2022
- by Nick Hilton
- The Independent - TV
Just a couple of weeks from now, families will be gathered round Christmas trees, sharing mince pieces, singing yuletide songs, and unwrapping presents. And all over the country, dads – who’ve spent a lifetime receiving socks and ties – will be squeezing their rectangular packages. What could it be? A DVD of Saving Private Ryan? A box of Ferrero Rochers? Or the latest book by popular historian Ben Macintyre, whose accounts of modern British history are adored by men of a certain age?
Macintyre’s works include Rogue Heroes (adapted for a BBC TV series) and Operation Mincemeat (a hit in cinemas earlier this year), and the author is now making his debut on Itvx – a bold new streaming era for Britain’s third channel – with a big-budget adaptation of A Spy Among Friends, the inside story of the capture of Soviet double agent Kim Philby. Philby here is played by...
Macintyre’s works include Rogue Heroes (adapted for a BBC TV series) and Operation Mincemeat (a hit in cinemas earlier this year), and the author is now making his debut on Itvx – a bold new streaming era for Britain’s third channel – with a big-budget adaptation of A Spy Among Friends, the inside story of the capture of Soviet double agent Kim Philby. Philby here is played by...
- 12/8/2022
- by Nick Hilton
- The Independent - TV
On 9 November 1955, the world’s media crowded into a fourth-floor flat in South Kensington in London, their cameras trained on a self-assured man in his forties, speaking with the clipped accent and unshakeable confidence that is drilled into a certain class of British male through years of expensive schooling. He answers the questions posed by his American interviewer with few words, sometimes accompanied by the flicker of a smile, a slight air of ennui, as if he is bored with the whole charade.
His name is Harold Adrian Russell Philby, known to his friends, and now the world, as Kim. The interviewer asks whether Philby is satisfied with his newly clean reputation, now that he has been ruled out as “the so-called third man” – the mole thought to have tipped off British agents-turned-Soviet spies Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, allowing the pair to defect to the Ussr in 1951. After Philby gives a brief assent,...
His name is Harold Adrian Russell Philby, known to his friends, and now the world, as Kim. The interviewer asks whether Philby is satisfied with his newly clean reputation, now that he has been ruled out as “the so-called third man” – the mole thought to have tipped off British agents-turned-Soviet spies Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, allowing the pair to defect to the Ussr in 1951. After Philby gives a brief assent,...
- 12/8/2022
- by Katie Rosseinsky
- The Independent - TV
On 9 November 1955, the world’s media crowded into a fourth-floor flat in South Kensington in London, their cameras trained on a self-assured man in his forties, speaking with the clipped accent and unshakeable confidence that is drilled into a certain class of British male through years of expensive schooling. He answers the questions posed by his American interviewer with few words, sometimes accompanied by the flicker of a smile, a slight air of ennui, as if he is bored with the whole charade.
His name is Harold Adrian Russell Philby, known to his friends, and now the world, as Kim. The interviewer asks whether Philby is satisfied with his newly clean reputation, now that he has been ruled out as “the so-called third man” – the mole thought to have tipped off British agents-turned-Soviet spies Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, allowing the pair to defect to the Ussr in 1951. After Philby gives a brief assent,...
His name is Harold Adrian Russell Philby, known to his friends, and now the world, as Kim. The interviewer asks whether Philby is satisfied with his newly clean reputation, now that he has been ruled out as “the so-called third man” – the mole thought to have tipped off British agents-turned-Soviet spies Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, allowing the pair to defect to the Ussr in 1951. After Philby gives a brief assent,...
- 12/8/2022
- by Katie Rosseinsky
- The Independent - TV
Guy Pearce also stars in the Cold War thriller based on double agent Kim Philby.
Sony Pictures Television has landed a raft of global sales on espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends.
A Spy Among Friends has sold to 117 territories for Sony Pictures Television. The series stars and is executive produced by UK star Damian Lewis, with Australian actor Guy Pearce and the UK’s Anna Maxwell-Martin also starring.
The Cold War thriller is based on Ben Macintyre’s novel and tells the true story of follows British intelligence officer and Kgb double agent Kim Philby, and is co-produced by...
Sony Pictures Television has landed a raft of global sales on espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends.
A Spy Among Friends has sold to 117 territories for Sony Pictures Television. The series stars and is executive produced by UK star Damian Lewis, with Australian actor Guy Pearce and the UK’s Anna Maxwell-Martin also starring.
The Cold War thriller is based on Ben Macintyre’s novel and tells the true story of follows British intelligence officer and Kgb double agent Kim Philby, and is co-produced by...
- 11/30/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The series stars Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce and Anna Maxwell-Martin.
Sony Pictures Television has landed a raft of global sales on espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends.
A Spy Among Friends has sold to 117 territories for Sony Pictures Television. The series stars and is executive produced by UK star Damian Lewis, with Australian actor Guy Pearce and the UK’s Anna Maxwell-Martin also starring.
The Cold War thriller is based on Ben Macintyre’s novel and tells the true story of follows British intelligence officer and Kgb double agent Kim Philby, and is co-produced by ITV Studios and Sony Pictures Television.
Sony Pictures Television has landed a raft of global sales on espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends.
A Spy Among Friends has sold to 117 territories for Sony Pictures Television. The series stars and is executive produced by UK star Damian Lewis, with Australian actor Guy Pearce and the UK’s Anna Maxwell-Martin also starring.
The Cold War thriller is based on Ben Macintyre’s novel and tells the true story of follows British intelligence officer and Kgb double agent Kim Philby, and is co-produced by ITV Studios and Sony Pictures Television.
- 11/30/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The new six-episode dramatic TV series "A Spy Among Friends", based on the novel by Ben Macintyre, stars Damian Lewis ("Band Of Brothers") and Guy Pearce ("Memento"), with Anna Maxwell Martin, Stephen Kunken and Adrian Edmondson, streaming in 2023 on MGM+:
"...the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...the series follows two British spies and lifelong friends, 'Nicholas Elliott' and 'Kim Philby'. Philby became the most notorious Brit defector and 'Soviet' double agent in history.
"His deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the 'Cold War', resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 11/30/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Netflix’s “That ’90s Show” has premiered its first teaser trailer, taking audiences back to the beloved basement circle with a new gang of characters and featuring well-recognized motifs like its predecessor’s signature guitar riff-heavy theme track, town’s seedy water tower (with the weed leaf still poorly painted on it) and Red Forman’s (Kurtwood Smith) penchant to say he’s going to put foots in people’s asses. The spinoff to “That ’70s Show” will premiere Jan. 19 with 10 22-minute episodes.
The show’s logline is as follows:
It’s 1995 and Leia Forman (Callie Haverda) is desperate for some adventure in her life or at least a best friend who isn’t her dad. When she arrives in Point Place to visit her grandparents, Red and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp), Leia finds what she’s looking for right next door when she meets the dynamic and rebellious Gwen.
The show’s logline is as follows:
It’s 1995 and Leia Forman (Callie Haverda) is desperate for some adventure in her life or at least a best friend who isn’t her dad. When she arrives in Point Place to visit her grandparents, Red and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp), Leia finds what she’s looking for right next door when she meets the dynamic and rebellious Gwen.
- 11/29/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
Ben Macintyre’s best-selling novel A Spy Among Friends is being adapted into a scripted crime drama for MGM+, with Damian Lewis (Billions) and Guy Pearce (Mare of Easttown) starring in lead roles. MGM+ is the new name for Epix from early 2023. The six-episode series tells the true story of two British spies and lifelong friends, Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, the latter of which became the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history. The drama will explore how Philby’s profoundly personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence. Created by Alexander Cary (Homeland) and produced by ITV Studios in collaboration with Sony Pictures Television, A Spy Among Friends stars Emmy winners Lewis and Pearce alongside Anna Maxwell Martin (Line of Duty), Stephen Kunken (The Handmaid’s Tale), and Adrian Edmondson (Back to Life). “I’m...
- 11/29/2022
- TV Insider
MGM+, the linear channel and streaming service previously known as Epix, has picked up crime drama “A Spy Among Friends.” The British limited series was commissioned by ITV Studios and was originally set to air as a Spectrum Original in the U.S. before that cabler was shuttered in August.
“A Spy Among Friends” is based on Ben Macintyre’s novel of the same and dramatizes the true story of two British spies and lifelong friends, Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis) and Kim Philby (Guy Pearce). The latter became the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history. Philby’s deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence. Anna Maxwell Martin, Stephen Kunken and Adrian Edmondson also star.
After debuting on Itvx in the U.K. in December, “A Spy Among Friends” will premiere on MGM+ in...
“A Spy Among Friends” is based on Ben Macintyre’s novel of the same and dramatizes the true story of two British spies and lifelong friends, Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis) and Kim Philby (Guy Pearce). The latter became the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history. Philby’s deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence. Anna Maxwell Martin, Stephen Kunken and Adrian Edmondson also star.
After debuting on Itvx in the U.K. in December, “A Spy Among Friends” will premiere on MGM+ in...
- 11/29/2022
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
MGM+, which was previously named Epix, has picked up limited thriller series “A Spy Among Friends.” The new series is based on the New York Times best-selling novel written by Ben Macintyre. It’s set to premiere in 2023.
The six-episode crime drama will reimagine the real-life story of two British spies — Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby — who are also longtime fiends. “[Philby] became the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history. Philby’s deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence,” reads a description for the series.
“A Spy Among Friends” stars award-winning actor Damian Lewis and Emmy winner Guy Pearce. Other cast members includes Anna Maxwell, Stephen Kunken, and Adrian Edmondson.
Also Read:
Mark Burnett Exits as MGM Worldwide TV Group Chairman
The series, which was created by British writer Alexander Cary, will be...
The six-episode crime drama will reimagine the real-life story of two British spies — Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby — who are also longtime fiends. “[Philby] became the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history. Philby’s deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence,” reads a description for the series.
“A Spy Among Friends” stars award-winning actor Damian Lewis and Emmy winner Guy Pearce. Other cast members includes Anna Maxwell, Stephen Kunken, and Adrian Edmondson.
Also Read:
Mark Burnett Exits as MGM Worldwide TV Group Chairman
The series, which was created by British writer Alexander Cary, will be...
- 11/29/2022
- by Raquel "Rocky" Harris
- The Wrap
Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce-fronted drama series A Spy Among Friends has found a new home in the U.S. following Spectrum’s move out of original series.
The spy thriller, which is a co-production with UK streamer Itvx, has landed at MGM+, the network formerly known as Epix.
It comes after the series premiered at the London Film Festival and ahead of its British launch in December.
The six-part series, which is based on Ben Macintyre’s book, tells the true story of two British spies and lifelong friends, Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby.
A Spy Among Friends follows the defection of notorious British intelligence officer and Kgb double agent, Kim Philby, played by Pearce, through the lens of his complex relationship with MI6 colleague and close friend, Nicholas Elliott, played by Lewis. The show examines espionage through their friendship, the fallout of which affects East-West relations to this day.
The spy thriller, which is a co-production with UK streamer Itvx, has landed at MGM+, the network formerly known as Epix.
It comes after the series premiered at the London Film Festival and ahead of its British launch in December.
The six-part series, which is based on Ben Macintyre’s book, tells the true story of two British spies and lifelong friends, Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby.
A Spy Among Friends follows the defection of notorious British intelligence officer and Kgb double agent, Kim Philby, played by Pearce, through the lens of his complex relationship with MI6 colleague and close friend, Nicholas Elliott, played by Lewis. The show examines espionage through their friendship, the fallout of which affects East-West relations to this day.
- 11/29/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Britain’s freshest new streaming service has launched a trailer for the star-studded spy thriller, ‘A Spy Among Friends.’
Based on the New York Times best-selling book written by Ben Macintyre, the six-episode series dramatises the true story of Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, two British spies and lifelong friends. Philby was the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history. This is a story of intimate duplicity; loyalty, trust and treachery. Philby’s deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American Intelligence.
Alexander Cary is the creator and executive producer alongside ITV Studios’ Patrick Spence and Nick Murphy.
Launching on 8th December, Itvx is a new, free streaming platform. Replacing ITV Hub as the online home of all ITV content, viewers can expect a new and improved product experience through Itvx as well as more new...
Based on the New York Times best-selling book written by Ben Macintyre, the six-episode series dramatises the true story of Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, two British spies and lifelong friends. Philby was the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history. This is a story of intimate duplicity; loyalty, trust and treachery. Philby’s deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American Intelligence.
Alexander Cary is the creator and executive producer alongside ITV Studios’ Patrick Spence and Nick Murphy.
Launching on 8th December, Itvx is a new, free streaming platform. Replacing ITV Hub as the online home of all ITV content, viewers can expect a new and improved product experience through Itvx as well as more new...
- 11/9/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
They were the golden couple of British acting, but Helen McCrory’s death last year left her husband shattered. Now he is putting the pieces of himself back together – and finding a new creative energy
The entrance to the private members’ club is so unobtrusive it is barely visible. I walk up the back stairs to a well-disguised roof terrace. A member of staff seems to know why I’m here, and shows me to a discreet table with barely a word. Damian Lewis is sitting there alone, tucking into a plate of sea bass. “Sorry, I couldn’t wait,” he says, looking up. “I was starving.” We move on to the veranda – an even more private spot. I half expect him to show me a secret code, tell me to consign it to memory, and walk away. It feels like a scene from a spy novel.
Lewis has the...
The entrance to the private members’ club is so unobtrusive it is barely visible. I walk up the back stairs to a well-disguised roof terrace. A member of staff seems to know why I’m here, and shows me to a discreet table with barely a word. Damian Lewis is sitting there alone, tucking into a plate of sea bass. “Sorry, I couldn’t wait,” he says, looking up. “I was starving.” We move on to the veranda – an even more private spot. I half expect him to show me a secret code, tell me to consign it to memory, and walk away. It feels like a scene from a spy novel.
Lewis has the...
- 10/29/2022
- by Simon Hattenstone
- The Guardian - Film News
Nothing has quite the same screen allure as a secret world. Espionage is so secret, by definition, that we have to take even its existence as a matter of trust; all we know about what goes on behind the intelligence agencies’ closed doors is what is relayed to us through books, films and series like A Spy Among Friends, based on Ben Macintyre’s book about the British double agent Kim Philby. Presumably, a certain kind of person is drawn to that world where nothing can be let slip outside it. To work for both sides, one must constantly be aware of who said what to whom, who knows what, who saw you where, who remembers you there — that anyone should want that life is a mystery in itself.
A Spy Among Friends – two episodes of which are screening as part of the London Film Festival – reunites Alexander Cary, a...
A Spy Among Friends – two episodes of which are screening as part of the London Film Festival – reunites Alexander Cary, a...
- 10/7/2022
- by Stephanie Bunbury
- Deadline Film + TV
The 66th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express has announced the line-up of world premieres for this year’s festival.
In addition to the previously announced opening night gala, the rousing big screen adaptation of the smash-hit, Olivier-winning stage musical Roald Dahl’S Matilda The Musical, the festival will also launch dazzling stop-motion animation Guillermo Del Toro’S Pinocchio as well as Creature, a new collaboration between acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan and Oscar-winner, Asif Kapadia, and My Father’S Dragon, family animation from Award-winning Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) and Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon.
The series and episodic selection, now in its second year, has a thrilling range of stories for audiences to see on the big screen. Lff’s Series Special Presentation in 2022 will be the World Premiere of The English, starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, a sweeping tale of romance and revenge from award-winning television auteur Hugo Blick.
In addition to the previously announced opening night gala, the rousing big screen adaptation of the smash-hit, Olivier-winning stage musical Roald Dahl’S Matilda The Musical, the festival will also launch dazzling stop-motion animation Guillermo Del Toro’S Pinocchio as well as Creature, a new collaboration between acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan and Oscar-winner, Asif Kapadia, and My Father’S Dragon, family animation from Award-winning Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) and Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon.
The series and episodic selection, now in its second year, has a thrilling range of stories for audiences to see on the big screen. Lff’s Series Special Presentation in 2022 will be the World Premiere of The English, starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, a sweeping tale of romance and revenge from award-winning television auteur Hugo Blick.
- 8/31/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Click here to read the full article.
The 66th BFI London Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of world premieres at this year’s edition, including Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix stop-motion animation film Pinocchio.
The fest will also mark the debut of Creature, a collaboration between choreographer Akram Khan and Oscar winner Asif Kapadia, as well as family animation My Father’s Dragon from Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) and Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon (Wolfwalkers, The Song of the Sea).
The London festival’s series and episodic selection, now in its second year, has “a thrilling range of stories for audiences to see on the big screen,” organizers said. They unveiled a “series special presentation” as the world premiere of The English, starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, a tale of romance and revenge from television auteur Hugo Blick (An Honourable Woman, Black Earth Rising). Also premiering in the section are comedy-drama Mammals,...
The 66th BFI London Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of world premieres at this year’s edition, including Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix stop-motion animation film Pinocchio.
The fest will also mark the debut of Creature, a collaboration between choreographer Akram Khan and Oscar winner Asif Kapadia, as well as family animation My Father’s Dragon from Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) and Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon (Wolfwalkers, The Song of the Sea).
The London festival’s series and episodic selection, now in its second year, has “a thrilling range of stories for audiences to see on the big screen,” organizers said. They unveiled a “series special presentation” as the world premiere of The English, starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, a tale of romance and revenge from television auteur Hugo Blick (An Honourable Woman, Black Earth Rising). Also premiering in the section are comedy-drama Mammals,...
- 8/31/2022
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The L.A. Screenings were one of many entertainment industry traditions that were put on hold by the pandemic. After all, an event that brings a few hundred international TV buyers to Los Angeles to huddle for a week in small screening rooms is pretty much the opposite of social distancing.
This year, a smaller contingent of buyers is expected to make like swallows to Capistrano and return to Hollywood during the week of May 23. Day by day, most of the major studios will take turns hosting L.A. Screenings events, giving buyers the opportunity to sample new properties on the heels of the network upfront presentations, which were held the week of May 16 in New York.
But the first L.A. Screenings week held since 2019 will look and feel different for the content scouts for networks and platforms across Europe, Asia, Latin America and more. The biggest changes are...
This year, a smaller contingent of buyers is expected to make like swallows to Capistrano and return to Hollywood during the week of May 23. Day by day, most of the major studios will take turns hosting L.A. Screenings events, giving buyers the opportunity to sample new properties on the heels of the network upfront presentations, which were held the week of May 16 in New York.
But the first L.A. Screenings week held since 2019 will look and feel different for the content scouts for networks and platforms across Europe, Asia, Latin America and more. The biggest changes are...
- 5/20/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce are playing spies in the upcoming BritBox UK and Spectrum Originals series A Spy Among Friends — and they definitely look the parts on set. A photo has been released of the pair at work on the six-episode limited series in which they’ll be playing Nicholas Elliott (Lewis) and Kim Philby (Pearce), spies and lifelong friends. Check it out above. The drama, based on a true story and Ben Macintyre’s New York Times best-selling book, “follows a friendship that resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence at the height of the Cold War and shaped the field of play for the dangerous game against Russia that we’re still trying to win today,” according to the official description. It will debut in fall 2022 on BritBox in the UK and Spectrum’s On Demand platform in the U.S. The cast also includes Anna Maxwell Martin,...
- 11/2/2021
- TV Insider
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