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HBO and A24 are teaming up to produce the historical espionage series adaptation of novel The Sympathizer, co-starring Robert Downey Jr.
According to a Deadline report, the Iron Man star will mark his first television series venture in the drama adaptation, which is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 2015 debut espionage thriller novel of the same name by Vietnamese-American author Viet Thanh Nguyen.
“Adapting Mr. Nguyen’s important and masterful work requires a visionary team,” Downey said.
The show will be directed by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden). Downey said he expects that, with Park at the helm, this project will be a “creative producing adventure” and it will be a “stimulating process for myself in playing these complex supporting roles.”
He added that A24 and HBO are the “perfect combination of partners and co-parents,” as they join hands in creating the show, together with Downey’s own production company, Team Downey.
“It’s exactly the type of challenge I’ve been craving, and I believe we will deliver an exceptional viewing experience to our audience,” he said.
The Sympathizer revolves around an unnamed half-French, half-Vietnamese spy captain for the communist forces, Viet Cong, in the final days of the Vietnam war. As he leaves his country, he finds himself exiled in Southern California, United States.
As he remains rooted in the Vietnamese community, he then serves as a cultural adviser for an American film about their experiences in the war. He eventually returns to Vietnam on another crackdown mission to hunt and fight against communists.
The critically-acclaimed and best-selling novel was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2016. Its sequel, The Committed, was published in March 2021.
Aside from his supporting role in the adaptation, Downey will also serve as its executive producer, along with his wife Susan Downey, Amanda Burrell, Niv Fichman, and Kim Ly. The showrunners will be Park and Don McKellar.
A worldwide search for the leading actor is on the way, with the cast being predominantly of Vietnamese descent. Other details about the drama series are yet to be revealed, including its filming and release date. – with reports from Paolo Alejandrino/Rappler.com
Paolo Alejandrino is a Rappler intern.
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