Downton Abbey star's epic new thriller series gets major update

Nicky Morris
·2-min read
Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery in Downton Abbey, Michael Fassbender in The Agency
Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery in Downton Abbey, Michael Fassbender in The Agency (Jaap Buitendijk / Focus Features / Paramount+)

Hugh Bonneville will soon be back on our screens as a guest star in Paramount +'s new thriller series, The Agency, which features a star-studded cast led by Michael Fassbender.

The first trailer reveals a release date for the hotly-anticipated two-parter, which follows covert CIA agent Martian (Fassbender), who is ordered to abandon his undercover life and head back to the London office, leaving behind the woman he loves, Sami (Jodie Turner-Smith).

The series, which is a fresh take on the critically acclaimed hit French drama Le Bureau des Legendes, arrives on Paramount Plus in the UK and Ireland on Saturday 30 November 2024 and on Friday 29 November in the US.

Michael Fassbender as Martian in The Agency
Michael Fassbender stars in The Agency (Nick Wall/Paramount+)

The synopsis reads: "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."

India Fowler as Poppy and Michael Fassbender as Martian in The Agency
India Fowler as Poppy and Michael Fassbender as Martian in The Agency (Luke Varley/Paramount+)

The original French series follows the daily life and missions of agents within France's principal external security service, focusing on the 'Bureau of Legends' responsible for training and handling deep-cover agents on long-term missions in areas with French interests.

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Starring alongside Michael and Jodie in the new show are Jeffrey Wright (Westworld), Katherine Waterston (Slow Horses), John Magaro (Orange Is the New Black) and Richard Gere (Pretty Woman), India Fowler (The Nevers). 

Michael Fassbender as Martian and Jodie Turner Smith as Samia Zahir in The Agency
Jodie Turner Smith plays Samia Zahir (Luke Varley/Paramount+)

Alex Reznik, Andrew Brooke, Harriet Sansom Harris, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Reza Brojerdi also star, alongside recurring cast members Adam Nagaitis, Ambreen Razia, Bilal Hasna, David Harewood, Kurt Egyiawan, Ray BLK, Sabrina Wu and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor.

The show marks Michael's debut as a leading man on the small screen. "I've never done a TV series as the lead, so I've got a lot of respect for it," he told EW. "It's a jam-packed schedule, you've got to move fast, you've got to get things done, but I'm really, really enjoying it."

Richard Gere as Bosko and Michael Fassbender as Martian in The Agency
Richard Gere plays Bosko (Luke Varley/Paramount+)

The Agency will be available on Paramount Plus from Saturday 30 November.

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