The Night Manager season 2 writer reveals why new episodes are perfect for this Trump era – and talks plans for a trilogy

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The first series of The Night Manager was a massive hit with both viewers and those who made the show, leading to calls for a second installment. Despite winning numerous awards – including three Emmys, two Baftas, and Golden Globes – and being shown in 180 countries, it’s been nearly a decade since it first aired in the UK in February 2016 that the new series will finally arrive this winter.

The first season of the show, which followed hotelier-turned-spy Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) as he hunted arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), was adapted from a novel by John le Carré. Because there wasn’t a second book to build on, a second season wasn’t immediately possible.

As a huge fan of le Carré, I always felt his stories hadn’t quite been captured right on screen. David Farr, who wrote both series, put it perfectly – no one had really dared to go beyond the source material before. It meant they approached it with a real sense of respect, and honestly, they had no idea the first one would blow up the way it did! It’s exciting to see someone finally treat these novels with that level of care.

There was talk of continuing ‘The Night Manager’ series, but not with the same team. I was busy working on a television adaptation of ‘Hanna,’ a film I’d previously written, so when they approached me about a second season, I wasn’t able to participate, says the writer.

I always thought Hollander was brilliant as Corky, Roper’s delightfully nasty right-hand man. Killing off a character that memorable felt like a hint that le Carré didn’t plan on revisiting that world. Though, it’s funny – he apparently really loved the TV adaptation of The Night Manager, but later became quite critical of television. He even told Stoppard he was “very disappointed” with the BBC’s 2018 take on The Little Drummer Girl – a bit of a turnaround, if you ask me!

The planned sequel to The Night Manager stalled, and around the same time, author John le Carré had a particularly striking dream. He felt it might have been prompted by learning that le Carré and his wife, Jane, were unwell. The dream, which he won’t fully reveal to avoid spoiling potential storylines, was set in the past and featured a black car approaching a boy in the hills of Latin America. The boy seemed excited and hopeful about what was happening.

I was drifting between sleep and wakefulness when the idea for the story suddenly hit me. I had a feeling I knew what it was about, and quickly figured out the plot. I immediately told my partner, so they could confirm I’d had the idea. It all came to me in that hazy state between dreaming and being fully awake.

Farr wasn’t sure who was actually writing the continuation of the story. However, after the author passed away in December 2020, he met the author’s sons, Simon and Stephen, at memorial gatherings. They manage The Ink Factory, which produced the original series and other adaptations of the author’s work. Farr shared his idea with Simon, who then asked him to write an episode.

Initially, Farr collaborated closely with the author, and they were generally easy to work with. When the screenwriter explained to le Carré that the latter part of the story needed significant changes to work on TV, le Carré surprisingly admitted, “The second half of the book wasn’t very good even in the original novel.”

According to Farr, the second season takes place in the same world and continues the same storyline as the first. He was worried about making something that felt like a separate, unrelated show. He also notes that the time jump was actually helpful, allowing the characters, especially Jonathan Pine, to develop more depth since we last saw them. Without a source novel or the author to guide him, this development was particularly valuable.

Farr explains that getting Tom Hiddleston on board for a sequel involved addressing his concerns, which mirrored her own. It was a collaborative process where she and Hiddleston worked closely together, and he reviewed each script to ensure he was happy with the story’s direction.

The story primarily takes place in South America and reflects the significant shifts in global politics since 2016. When the first season began, Donald Trump was a surprising contender for the U.S. presidency, and the UK hadn’t yet voted to leave the European Union. Has the world changed dramatically since then?

Farr confirms things have changed significantly. He notes that even in South America, Donald Trump has become heavily involved with the situations in Colombia and Venezuela over the last year. Farr believes the central conflict from the first season – the clash between Roper’s belief in individual freedom and Pine’s strong sense of obligation – is now especially relevant. He argues that the idea of prioritizing personal freedom is currently gaining ground, and Trump embodies that viewpoint perfectly.

When the novel was published in 1994, some readers questioned how much power the character Roper wielded and whether it was realistic for someone to become so infamous they were called “the worst man in the world.” Donald Trump, though not as criminally disturbed as Roper, shares a similar level of influence and notoriety.

Farr strongly agrees, noting that Roper accurately predicted the current situation. We’re now living in a world dominated by powerful figures – like Trump and Elon Musk – who aren’t held to the same standards of accountability as previous leaders. It often feels like the public is responsible for meeting their demands, rather than the other way around.

I’m not suggesting these individuals are inherently bad, but some have amassed a huge amount of power, and we need to discuss that. This level of wealth can translate into significant political influence, should they choose to use it.

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Once the scripts were finished and Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman were confirmed to return, along with other familiar and new cast members, Georgi Banks-Davies was brought in to direct. Banks-Davies, a British director known for her work on shows like ‘Kaos’ and ‘I Hate Suzie,’ admitted she felt pressure taking on a sequel. As this was her first time directing a second series, she knew she was inheriting both the established story and high expectations from viewers.

This show is different because it’s been almost a decade since the last one, and this story isn’t based on any existing books. I really had to approach it as a fresh start, ignoring what happened before, or I’d get stuck trying to repeat the past. You can’t try to recapture something special – it just doesn’t work. I watched the original series once, but then intentionally moved on.

Now that the BBC has ordered a third season, fans likely won’t have to wait another ten years for the next installment of The Night Manager. According to executive producer Stephen Farr, the creators, including Tom Hollander, envision the series as a three-part story, and aren’t planning on extending it indefinitely.

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2025-12-08 20:42