The Agency | |
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![]() Promotional poster | |
Genre | Drama Political thriller Spy thriller |
Created by | Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth |
Based on | The Bureau (Le Bureau des Légendes) by Eric Rochant |
Starring | |
Music by | Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch |
Opening theme | "Love Is Blindness" covered by Jack White |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 10 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producer | Simone Goodridge |
Running time | 44–60 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Paramount+ with Showtime |
Release | November 29, 2024 – present |
The Agency is an American spy thriller television series from Paramount+ with Showtime produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov and starring Michael Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Richard Gere. The series premiered on November 29, 2024, and is a remake of the acclaimed French series, Le Bureau des Légendes, created by Éric Rochant.
In December 2024, the series was renewed for a second season.
Covert CIA agent Martian is ordered to abandon his undercover life and return to London Station. A past love unexpectedly reappears, pitting his mission and his real identity against his heart, hurling them both into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage. [1]
No. | Title | Directed by | Teleplay by | Original release date [2] |
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1 | "The Bends" | Joe Wright | Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth | November 29, 2024 |
2 | "Wooden Duck" | Joe Wright | Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth | November 29, 2024 |
3 | "Hawk from a Handsaw" | Philip Martin | Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth | December 6, 2024 |
4 | "Quarterback Blitz" | Philip Martin | Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth | December 13, 2024 |
5 | "Rat Trap" | Zetna Fuentes | Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth | December 20, 2024 |
6 | "Spy For Sale" | Zetna Fuentes | Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth | December 27, 2024 |
7 | "Hard Landing" | Grant Heslov | Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth | January 3, 2025 |
8 | "Truth Will Set You Free" | Grant Heslov | Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth | January 10, 2025 |
9 | "The Rubicon" | Neil Burger | Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth | January 17, 2025 |
10 | "Overtaken By Events" | Neil Burger | Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth | January 24, 2025 |
The project received a straight to series order from Showtime, now known as the Paramount+ with Showtime channel which is a part of the Showtime Networks portfolio, [3] in February 2023. It is based on The Bureau a French espionage show created, directed and produced by Eric Rochant. It initially had the title of The Department. [4]
The series is produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov's Smokehouse Pictures, MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios. It is executive produced by Keith Cox and Nina L. Diaz of MTVE Studios, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin and Bob Yari of 101 Studios, Alex Berger for The Originals Productions in France, and Ashley Stern and Pascal Breton for the Paris-based company Federation Studios/Federation Entertainment of America. [5]
Joe Wright is set to direct the first two episodes with Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth writing all 10 episodes. [6] Clooney was originally set to direct. [7]
In December 2024, the series was renewed for a second season. [8]
Production started in June 2024, with the title changed to The Agency. Michael Fassbender is an executive producer, as well as in a starring role, played in the French series by Mathieu Kassovitz. [9] [10] Shortly afterwards, Jeffrey Wright, Richard Gere, Jodie Turner-Smith, Katherine Waterston and John Magaro joined the cast. [11] [12] [13] [14]
Further cast members were revealed in August 2024, including Alex Reznik, Andrew Brooke, Harriet Sansom Harris, India Fowler and Saura Lightfoot-Leon. [15]
Filming took place in London in 2024. [16] [17]
Filming also took place in Tallinn, Estonia in September 2024. [18]
The Agency premiered with the first two episodes on Paramount Global's premium streaming service Paramount+ with Showtime on November 29, 2024 in the United States, before making its Showtime Networks debut which includes the Paramount+ with Showtime channel [3] two days later, [2] with worldwide streaming following on November 30. [19] [20]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 68% approval rating with an average rating of 6.1/10, based on 40 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus is, "Emphasizing spycraft's heavy toll to both intriguing and tiresome effect, The Agency situates its all-star cast in a sumptuously-shot world of espionage." [21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 66 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [22]
In January 2025, Michael Fassbender was nominated for Lead Actor in Drama at the Irish Film and Television Awards. [23]