George Clooney is getting back behind the camera for television, for the first time since Catch-22 in 2019. And to nobody’s surprise, he’s moving into the political thriller space with The Department, and Showtime is so excited they’ve already given it a straight-to-series order.
The Department is based on the acclaimed French series, Le Bureau des Legendes (aka The Bureau), which followed “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.”
Clooney’s series should fit right in at Showtime, home of the hit series Homeland…
“‘The Department,’ based on the riveting and brilliant series ‘The Bureau,’ will follow in the great tradition of ‘Homeland,’ one of the most successful and brand-defining shows at Showtime,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime and Paramount Media. “Just as ‘Homeland’ elevated global espionage to new heights, ‘The Department’ will take viewers even deeper into a world of intrigue and subterfuge with complicated characters who struggle with their own demons as they fight existential threats to the nation and the world.”
Clooney most recently directed Ben Affleck in 2021’s The Tender Bar. He’s currently shooting the rowing drama The Boys in the Boat that’s expected to open later this year. [Variety]
