The Night Manager, the latest spy thriller to feed our appetite

Stars of the show Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston with Elizabeth Debicki. / Supplied

A sexy new British miniseries is in our midst, starring Hugh Laurie, Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman called The Night Manager. It is based on the novel by the same name by John le Carre.
Tom Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine, a former soldier who has excommunicated himself from a dark past, and is now working as a hotel night porter.
Recruited by government intelligence agent Angela Burr, Pine is enlisted to infiltrate an international arms dealer's network, as he seeks to make amends for his past.
Hiddleston said the Iraq war vet is, “filled with guilt and shame because of what has happened in his past”.
He explained: “The uniform and the face [Pine] prepares to meet others is a mask that protects him from having to know who he is.”

 Hugh Laurie discusses The Night Manager. / Getty

Originally published 20 years ago, two production companies tried and failed to turn the novel in to a movie.
The plot is so thick, with dark twists and turns as the protagonist jetsets across the globe, it was deemed impossible to condense down to two hours.
Instead, the British-American production will screen on TV3 on Sunday nights as a six-part series.

Former House star Hugh Laurie portrays The Night Manager’s arms-dealing villain, Richard Roper.
Described as “the most evil man in the world”, Roper hides behind grace and charm as he builds a billion-dollar empire by trading in human life and selling arms to the highest bidder.
Spy boss Angela Burr, played by Broadchurch star Olivia Colman, is charged with taking down the smooth-talking criminal, but the task is more than just a job.

 Colman, who plays Angela Burr, was pregnant during filming. / Getty

Colman explained: “Burr knows that Roper is an arms dealer of the filthiest kind and that he’s making a fortune out of people’s death, misery and poverty. She is determined to take this monster down.”
Colman’s character was originally written as a man. But, 20 years on, the author agreed it was time for a change.
Le Carré said: “Did we really want… one white male middle-aged man pitched against another white middle-aged man, and using a third, younger, white middle-aged man as his weapon of choice? We didn’t.”
As an added challenge, Colman discovered she was pregnant shortly before filming.

The cast of The Night Manager, which premieres on TV3 this Sunday. / Supplied

Academy Award-winning director Susanne Bier led the cast, including the ever-expanding Colman, across the globe from Cairo to the Swiss Alps, the Turkish-Syrian border, Monaco and London.
The first episode premiered in the UK last night, drawing viewers into the dark, racy world of The Night Manager.
The episode is available on 3NOW from midday today, ahead of the official premiere on TV3 this Sunday at 8:30pm.
Scout