Paramount+ Adds Joe Wright Teamed With Jez And John Henry Butterworth For ‘The Department’

According to Paramount Press Express, Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement) is set to direct two episodes of Paramount+’s series The Department. The series is based off of the French drama Le Bureau des Legendes. 

The Department is written by Jez Butterworth (Edge of Tomorrow, Ford v Ferrari) and John-Henry Butterworth (Fair Game, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), who will executive produce. George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven, ER) and Grant Heslov (True Lies, Argo) will executive produce for Smokehouse Pictures and David C. Glasser (Yellowstone, Wind River) will produce for 101 Studios.

According to Paramount Press Express, Chris McCarthy, President/CEO Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, in a statement, said, “Joe Wright is a visionary director with a gift of focusing on intricate details to craft immersive and visually striking stories. 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.”

According to Paramount Press Express, based on the french series logline, the series goes as follows: “Le Bureau centers on the daily life and missions of agents within France’s principal external security service. It focuses on the Bureau of Legends, responsible for training and handling deep-cover agents on long-term missions in areas with French interests. Living under false identities for years, these agents’ missions are to identify and recruit good intelligence sources. The New York Times named it one of the top international shows of the decade, and NPR has called it ‘addictively suspenseful’ and ‘one of the best TV shows in the world.”

Wright’s last project was directing the romantic drama musical film Cyrano starring Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones, Elf), Haley Bennett (The Equalizer, The Magnificent Seven) and Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Ender’s Game, 12 Years a Slave)

Jez and John-Henry Butterworth recently cowrote Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny starring Harrison Ford (Star War Series, Blade Runner), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (FleabagKilling Eve) and Antonio Banderas (Shrek 2, The Mask of Zorro).

According to Paramount Press Express, the series is commissioned by Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and produced in along with 101 Studios. The series is executive produced by Keith Cox (Hot in Cleveland, Jennifer Falls) and Nina L. Diaz (MTV Cribs, Real Housewives of New Jersey) for Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios. Ron Burkle (The Giver, Safe Haven), Glasser, David Hutkin (Special Ops: Lioness1923) and Bob Yari (Mayor of Kingstown, The Illusionist) will for 101 Studios. Alex Berger (The Mentalist, Blindspot) for The Originals Productions and Pascal Breton (Queenie in Love, Marseille) along with Ashley Stern (The Banker’s Wife, The Pacific) will for Federation Studios/Federation Entertainment of America.

The Department is available for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME bundle later this year.

Korey Frederick: Korey Frederick is a recent journalism graduate at the University of Iowa. He is a creative writer, editor and journalist. He was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His favorite movie is Raiders of the Lost Ark, his favorite TV shows are Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Smallville. He is a lover of rock and roll music with alternative music of the 80's, 90's and 2000's in specific.
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