Benedict Cumberbatch teases adaptation of novel he says inspired James Bond series

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Benedict Cumberbatch has teased the upcoming adaptation of a novel he says inspired James Bond.

During an appearance on the SmartLess podcast with Sean Hayes, Jason Bateman, and Will Arnett, Benedict Cumberbatch shared his belief that the novel Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household was the inspiration behind the James Bond series created by Ian Fleming.

Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his role as Doctor Strange, and his production company, SunnyMarch, initially proposed a film adaptation in 2016. Michael Lesslie, who co-wrote Macbeth, was writing the screenplay, and Fox Searchlight was supporting the project’s early stages. However, the film never moved forward into production.

He shared with The Hollywood Reporter that he was excited to both star in and produce the film adaptation of this beloved classic English novel.

Cumberbatch recently mentioned on a podcast that he’s hoping filming will start next year, nearly ten years after the project was first proposed.

We don’t have a filming date scheduled yet, but we’re aiming to shoot it next year. We’re committed to making it happen, for sure,” he said.

He hinted at a possible return as Doctor Strange in future Marvel movies, suggesting it could change existing plans. He jokingly mentioned “other huge commitments involving cloaks” as a veiled reference to the character.

Published in 1939, this thrilling novel tells the story of a British man who attempts to assassinate a European dictator. After his plan fails and he’s brutally tortured, he manages to escape back to England. He goes into hiding in the countryside, desperately trying to evade both enemy spies and the police who are hunting him down.

The author originally envisioned the story’s villain as a representation of a notorious historical figure, telling TopMob magazine in the 1970s that while the idea for Rogue Male stemmed from his strong dislike of Hitler, he deliberately didn’t name him in the book. This was because of the political climate at the time, and he wanted the villain to be ambiguous, potentially representing either Hitler or Stalin.

On the SmartLess podcast, Cumberbatch explained that the story is based on ‘The Fugitive’ novel, which heavily influenced Ian Fleming when creating James Bond. He also mentioned that during early discussions, they wondered if the film might appeal more to male audiences.

As we delved deeper into the story’s themes, the character’s motivations, and the consequences of his actions, we found it incredibly compelling. The fact that he’s attracted to both the side he supports and the one he opposes surprisingly reflects current political dynamics.

The novel has been adapted for the screen before, most notably as the 1941 film Man Hunt by Twentieth Century Fox and a 1976 BBC television movie starring Peter O’Toole.

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2025-11-28 22:04