John Le Carre novels have always been ripe for Hollywood adaptation.  Anton Corbijn (The American) is working on an adaptation of A Most Wanted Man, and a couple years ago we got Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which sadly was a bit of a disappointment.  Hopefully, director Justin Kurzel (The Snowtown Murders) will have more success with his adaptation of Le Carre's Our Kind of Traitor.  The adaptation is moving in the right direction with Ralph Fiennes and Mads Mikkelsen signing on to co-star.

Per Screen daily, "Ewan McGregor will star in the international spy thriller as one half of a couple who gets mixed up with a Russian oligarch and major money launderer (Mikkelsen). Caught up in his plans to defect, they are soon positioned between the Russian Mafia and the British Secret Service."  Fiennes will play U.K. government fixer Hector Meredith.  Jessica Chastain was rumored for the female lead back in November, but it looks like she has passed, and casting for the role is still underway.  Filming is set to begin this summer.  Hit the jump for an update on the adaptation of Le Carre's Smiley's People, and click here for Steve's interview with producer Eric Fellner.

Regarding Smiley's People, StudioCanal Chairman and CEO Olivier Courson and Ron Halpern, evp international productions and acquisitions, tell Screen Daily:

"We are working on Smiley’s People with Working Title. It’s still at the development stage - but, yes, the old team of [co-writer] Peter Straughan and [director] Tomas Alfredson is back together. The same Tinker Tailor actors whose characters would reappear are well aware of what we’re doing. We’re hopeful for a 2014 shoot."

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy really came together in the second half, so perhaps that same kind of energy will carry throughout Smiley's People.  Here's the synopsis of Le Carre's novel:

A very junior agent answers Vladimir’s call, but it could have been the Chief of the Circus himself. No one at the British Secret Service considers the old spy to be anything except a senile has-been who can’t give up the game—until he’s shot in the face at point-blank range. Although George Smiley (code name: Max) is officially retired, he’s summoned to identify the body now bearing Moscow Centre’s bloody imprimatur. As he works to unearth his friend’s fatal secrets, Smiley heads inexorably toward one final reckoning with Karla—his dark “grail.” [Amazon]

smileys-people-book-cover