Actor Richard Gere (Chicago, Pretty Woman) is announced to star in Paramount+’s anticipated series The Agency, an “espionage political thriller” in collaboration with Showtime, according to Deadline. With executive producers Grant Heslov (Argo, The Ides of March) and George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven, The Ides of March) attached to the project, Gere reportedly turned down other upcoming high-profile series until attaching himself to The Agency.
According to Deadline, The Agency is a new rendition of the French series Le Bureau des Legendes, which follows the thrills of France’s external security service. The Agency similarly will dive into the life of a secretive CIA agent who’s “ordered to abandon his undercover life and return to London Station. When the love he left behind reappears, romance reignites. His career, his real identity and his mission are pitted against his heart; hurling them both into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage.”
Gere will take on the role of Bosko, an eight-year undercover CIA agent with a rich past who is the London Station Chief, via Deadline. Gere landed this role after losing the lead role of the canceled Apple TV+ series Bastards in 2019 via mxdwn.
Per Deadline, President and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks, Chris McCarthy (Out of Iraq, The T Word) shared his opinions of Gere coming onto the project, saying, “Richard Gere is in a class of his own, adored by generations of fans worldwide for his exceptional ability to infuse depth and authenticity into every role he plays. We are delighted to have him join our extraordinary cast which includes Michael Fassbender and Jeffrey Wright in Showtime’s latest thriller.”
While The Agency is actively in production in London, the series will be available to stream with the Paramount+ Showtime plan ahead of its on-air premiere, reports Deadline. The show will also be available to stream internationally on the Paramount+ platform in Brazil, Latin America, Germany, Italy, the UK, Australia, Canada and Japan.