Mini-series by Ridley Scott on the CIA's history
Faced with two competing theatrical releases about the CIA and winnowing Robert Littell's best-selling novel about the spy business into a $100-million-plus, 21/2-hour movie, filmmaker Ridley Scott decided The Company would make a better miniseries.
"I loved Ken Nolan's script," Scott says. "But we discovered Bobby De Niro had started on The Good Shepherd," and Warner Bros. had another spy project. "All three were similar takes on the CIA."
Now a $40 million, six-hour miniseries adapted by Nolan (Black Hawk Down) and directed by Mikael Salomon, The Company premieres on cable's TNT Sunday (8 ET/PT) in a format that enables "one to tell and flush out history in grander form," says Scott, who was to direct the theatrical release but was an executive producer on the TV project. "It's almost better as a giant miniseries."
The Company spans the post-World War II start of the CIA through five decades of Cold War espionage, tracing Littell's historical and fictional characters through coups, disinformation, double agents and intrigue until the Soviet Union's collapse. Part 1 has the feel of a dark spy thriller, Part 2 (Aug. 12) is more action driven, while Part 3 (Aug. 19) has the pace of a psychological drama.
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"I loved Ken Nolan's script," Scott says. "But we discovered Bobby De Niro had started on The Good Shepherd," and Warner Bros. had another spy project. "All three were similar takes on the CIA."
Now a $40 million, six-hour miniseries adapted by Nolan (Black Hawk Down) and directed by Mikael Salomon, The Company premieres on cable's TNT Sunday (8 ET/PT) in a format that enables "one to tell and flush out history in grander form," says Scott, who was to direct the theatrical release but was an executive producer on the TV project. "It's almost better as a giant miniseries."
The Company spans the post-World War II start of the CIA through five decades of Cold War espionage, tracing Littell's historical and fictional characters through coups, disinformation, double agents and intrigue until the Soviet Union's collapse. Part 1 has the feel of a dark spy thriller, Part 2 (Aug. 12) is more action driven, while Part 3 (Aug. 19) has the pace of a psychological drama.