Director Joe Wright and writers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth have all boarded the upcoming Paramount+ series “The Department.”
The Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios series, which was announced with a straight-to-series order in February 2023, is based on the French drama series “Le Bureau des Legendes” created by Eric Rochant. Wright will direct the first two episodes and executive produce, while the Butterworths will writer and executive produce all episodes. George Clooney was originally announced as directing the series. He and Grant Heslov remain onboard as executive producers via Smokehouse Pictures.
“Joe Wright is a visionary director with a gift of focusing on intricate details to craft immersive and visually striking stories,” said Chris McCarthy, President and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios. “And, Jez and John-Henry are masterful writers whose witty and emotionally charged language dives deep into their characters’ moral complexities, while simultaneously creating a propulsive narrative. Bringing these powerhouse creatives together alongside George Clooney and Grant Heslov is sure to give ‘The Bureau’ the reinvention it deserves.”
“The Department” is slated to debut on Paramount+ with Showtime later this year. The official description for the series states that it “centers on the daily life and missions of agents within France’s principal external security service. It focuses on the ‘Bureau of Legends,’ responsible for training and handling deep-cover agents on long-term missions in areas with French interests. Living under false identities for years, these agents’ missions are to identify and recruit good intelligence sources.”
Wright made his feature directorial debut with the 2005 adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” starring Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen, Rosamund Pike, and Donald Sutherland. He has since directed critically-acclaimed films such as “Atonement,” “The Soloist,” “Hanna,” “Darkest Hour,” and “Cyrano.”
He is repped by CAA.
The Butterworths have previously co-written films such as “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “Flag Day,” “Ford v Ferrari,” “Get on Up, and “Edge of Tomorrow.” Jez is also a Tony Award- and Olivier Award-winning playwright for his plays such as “The Ferryman” and “Mojo.” John-Henry also previously collaborated with David E. Kelley on the Hulu series “Nine Perfect Strangers” and wrote films like “Fair Game” and “Despite the Night.”
They are repped by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
Along with Wright and the Butterworths, Keith Cox and Nina L. Diaz of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios executive produce “The Department” along with: David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin and Bob Yari of 101 Studios; Clooney and Heslov of Smokehouse; Alex Berger for The Originals Productions; and Ashley Stern and Pascal Breton for Federation Studios/Federation Entertainment of America.
