It’s been a good couple of weeks for Hiddlestoners. First we got that surprise cameo in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, featuring Hiddleston in a finely tailored 19th century suit. Now we’ve got some fantastic news: Hiddleston will be reprising his role as hotelier-turned-spy Jonathan Pine in season 2 of The Night Manager.
Deadline reports that, although the deal isn’t finalized yet, Amazon Prime Video and the BBC have ordered two new seasons of the series, which is based on the John le Carré novel of the same name. According to Deadline, the plot will pick up two years after the end of the first series, when Pine gets confirmation that arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) is dead, and Pine “has to face up to a new, even more deadly challenge.”
The first season of The Night Manager covered the events of the Le Carré novel, in which Pine discovers incriminating evidence that could take down Roper while Pine is working as a night manager at a luxury hotel. Pine is then recruited into British Intelligence by Angela Burr (Olivia Colman), who helps him infiltrate Roper’s inner circle and take him down. The series won two Emmys and three Golden Globes, and launched speculation that Hiddleston might be cast as the next James Bond.
There have been rumors of a possible season 2 for the past seven years, after the original series aired in 2016. Season 2 will reportedly go beyond the events of the original novel.
Season 2 will reportedly begin filming later this year, with no release date or additional cast members announced yet. However, Deadline reports that David Farr, who wrote the first series, will also write season 2.
Why is The Night Manager so good?
If you haven’t gotten on the Night Manager train yet, now’s the time to do it.
I’m not a huge spy thriller fan, and I loved it—and not just because it stars one of my favorite actors. Jonathan Pine is a reluctant spy, new to espionage but determined to avenge the murder of someone he loves. His ruthlessness is tempered by moments of deep vulnerability and tenderness. The rest of the original cast is fantastic, too: Colman as an intelligence officer trying to keep her family safe, Elizabeth Debicki as a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship, and Hugh Laurie as the unforgettable “worst man in the world.” (Quick note: you may want to watch Avenue 5 as a unicorn chaser after your Night Manager binge, because Roper is an extremely evil dude.)
I’m so glad we’re getting Jonathan Pine back! It may be a while before the series hits our screens, but it’ll be worth it.
(via Deadline, featured image: BBC)
