First up, Hiddleston will star alongside Dr. House...er, Hugh Laurie in The Night Manager, based on the espionage novel by spymaster John Le Carre (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, A Most Wanted Man). The story is penned by David Farr (Hanna) and follows "Jonathan Pine, a British soldier turned luxurious hotel night auditor. Pine crosses paths with a French-Arab woman named Sophie with ties to Richard Onslow Roper, an English black marketer who specializes in weapons. The woman provides Pine with incriminating documents, which he forwards to a friend in British intelligence. After Sophie winds up dead, Pine works with intelligence operatives and goes undercover as part of a sting against Roper to avenge Sophie's death." No network deals are in place for this one yet but expect that to change considering the popularity of the actors involved.
And Scarlett Johansson is about to take on her first major TV role in The Custom of the Country, a limited series from renowned playwright/screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Atonement). Based on Edith Wharton's 1913 novel, the series will have Johansson taking on the role of the ruthless Undine Spragg, a Midwestern woman who unscrupulously climbs New York's high society of nouveau riche. The plan is for the series to land on a premium cable network but no deals are in place yet. [Deadline]
