Nearly a decade after The Night Manager concluded with a seemingly definitive ending, a strange coincidence inspired a second installment of the TV adaptation of John le Carré’s novel.
The Night Manager season 1 debuted in 2016 as a six-part limited series based on le Carré’s 1993 book of the same name. Starring Tom Hiddleston, the show followed his character, Jonathan Pine, a soldier turned hotel manager who gets involved in a covert British intelligence operation targeting an international arms dealer, Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie). The story was designed to be self-contained, with no plans for any further installments.
Almost 10 years later, the idea of expanding the series began to take shape for writer David Farr. On December 13, 2020, he began thinking about potential new storylines for The Night Manager after he had a vision of sorts. According to The New York Times, Farr said that he randomly saw a car drive towards a child in his mind, and that inspired him to continue the story of the soldier.
In an eerie twist of fate, the night he began to jot down ideas was also the day le Carré passed away. While it was simply a coincidence, the celebrated author’s death gave the creative team a deeper sense of purpose while developing the show. Farr added that he knew this whole scenario sounded farfetched and that most people would probably think he’s lying, but he stands behind his statement.
That was strange. I don’t know why on Earth I’ve thought of that. I haven’t thought about ‘The Night Manager’ in a long time. It’s the story that nobody will ever believe. It’s probably just a coincidence. Or you can believe in strange animal rhythms. I’ve no idea. It’s just the truth.
Simon Cornwell, the son of le Carré and executive producer of The Night Manager series, is one of the people who didn’t fully believe his story. Despite him thinking it was silly, he still believed that the second installment was a great idea and that Farr was the right person to deliver it. “I suspect the reality is that with my dad’s passing, he was finally liberated to begin writing his own story for The Night Manager,” he explained.
Le Carré had initially been firm that The Night Manager should remain a one-season limited series. However, his response to the finale reportedly softened that stance, allowing the creative team to explore future plot points if it could be just as good or better than the original. And that was something that was taken very seriously due to how long it took for a second season to even be put into motion.
Perhaps, most importantly of all, the novelist’s son believes that his late father would have been proud of what the creative accomplished with The Night Manager season 2. He also mentioned that the content of the new installment stayed true to le Carré’s story and voice, which is what matters most.
I would show this with pride to my dad if he were here today. I think what we’ve achieved is a progression that’s very true to my dad’s thinking.
THe Night Manager season 2 will release its first three episodes internationally on Prime Video on January 11, 2026, and one new episode weekly until February 1, 2026.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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BBC One
- Directors
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Susanne Bier, Georgi Banks-Davies
