Joe Wright Directing Espionage Thriller Adaptation for Paramount+

Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, The Darkest Hour, Atonement) is on board to direct the new political espionage thriller The Department, based on the French drama Le Bureau des Legendes, for Paramount+.

The French series centered on the daily lives and missions of agents within France’s principal external security service, the “Bureau of Legends,” which is responsible for training and handling deep-cover agents on long-term missions. Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth (Ford v Ferrari, Edge of Tomorrow) are writing all ten episodes of the adaptation.

The Department is being produced by Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios. Executive producers are the Butterworths; George Clooney and Grant Heslov for Smokehouse Pictures; and David C. Glasser for 101 Studios. Production s slated to begin later this year. It will debut on Paramount+ for subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan later this year.

Le Bureau was created by Eric Rochant and is a CANAL+ Creation Originale series produced by TOP and Federation Studios.

“Joe Wright is a visionary director with a gift of focusing on intricate details to craft immersive and visually striking stories,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios. “And Jez and John-Henry are masterful writers whose witty and emotionally charged language dives deep into their characters’ moral complexities, while simultaneously creating a propulsive narrative. Bringing these powerhouse creatives together alongside George Clooney and Grant Heslov is sure to give The Bureau the reinvention it deserves.”