Benedict Cumberbatch is all set to star in Netflix’s upcoming thriller series The 39 Steps. Based on John Buchan’s classic thriller novel, the story, set in World War I, follows a man named Richard Hannay, who becomes embroiled in an international spy ring and must go on the run.
The novel’s most famous adaptation is the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock which starred Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. According to Deadline, Benedict Cumberbatch’s limited series will be a contemporary retelling of the novel, following an ordinary man, Richard Hannay, as he gets caught up in a global conspiracy.
The series will contain six or more, hour-long episodes, with the filming likely to begin next year in Europe. The spy thriller series will be directed by Edward Berger, who previously teamed with Cumberbatch on Patrick Melrose, and will be penned by The Revenant writer Mark L Smith.
The series will be produced by Anonymous Content, Chapter One Pictures, and SunnyMarch. Cumberbatch will also executive produce the series, along with his producing partner Adam Ackland for SunnyMarch.
Smith and Berger will also executive produce the show, along with Sophie Gardiner for Chapter One Pictures, Cliff Roberts for Syndicate Entertainment, and Keith Redmon for Anonymous Content. Cumberbatch most recently appeared in the legal drama The Mauritanian and The Courier, and will soon reprise his Doctor Strange role in two upcoming MCU films, this year’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022