Production on Legacy of Spies is continuing in Prague, with new cast members announced as filming expands into the city’s historic center.
The BBC and MGM+ series, based on the work of John le Carré, shot on location in Prague’s city center this week, following earlier production activity last month in Žižkov. Recent filming has taken place in Old Town near the National Theatre and along the Vltava riverfront, where large sections city streets have been transformed into Cold War-era Europe.
The shoot coincides with a recently-announced expansion of the show’s ensemble, adding several high-profile international actors to a cast already led by Matthew Macfadyen, Charlie Hunnam, and Daniel Brühl.
Prague transforms into Cold War Europe
Filming for Legacy of Spies moved into Prague’s city center this week, with production activity concentrated around Karolíny Světlé Street and nearby waterfront areas. The location has undergone extensive set dressing, including period vehicles, signage and storefront modifications designed to recreate the look of Cold War-era Europe.
German-language signage visible on set suggests that Prague is doubling for locations in East Germany, aligning with the narrative of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, which is set in East Berlin and other parts of the Eastern Bloc.
The transformation includes detailed environmental changes, with contemporary businesses temporarily reimagined as mid-20th century establishments. In one instance, a modern souvenir shop was amusingly redressed as a cabaret, reflecting the production’s emphasis on period authenticity.
The use of Prague as a stand-in for East Germany continues a long-standing trend in international film and television production, with the city’s preserved architecture and adaptable urban spaces allowing it to represent multiple European settings. At the same time, the inclusion of material from le Carré’s later novel A Legacy of Spies—which features scenes set in Prague—raises the possibility that the city may also appear as itself within the series.
Expanded ensemble signals ambitious adaptation
Alongside the ongoing Prague shoot, Legacy of Spies has significantly expanded its cast, underscoring the scale of the production and its ambition as a comprehensive adaptation of le Carré’s work.
Newly announced cast members include Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey), Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front) and Agnes O’Casey (Lies We Tell) in key roles. O’Casey will play Liz Gold, a British Communist sympathizer involved with protagonist Alec Leamas, while Kammerer takes on the role of Hans-Dieter Mundt, a senior East German intelligence figure. Stevens joins as Bill Haydon, a prominent figure within British intelligence.
Additional cast members include Jake Dunn (William Tell) as Peter Guillam, Safia Oakley-Green as intelligence officer Molly Gibson, and Ariyon Bakare as a U.S. intelligence operative. On the East German side, Saskia Rosendahl, Patrick Güldenberg and Volker Bruch portray figures within the Stasi apparatus, further expanding the series’ depiction of Cold War espionage networks.
They join previously announced leads Matthew Macfadyen as George Smiley, Charlie Hunnam as Alec Leamas and Daniel Brühl as East German operative Josef Fiedler, along with Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu as Doris Quinz.
The series is written by Stephen Cornwell and Clarissa Ingram, with Cornwell also serving as executive producer. Michael Lennox is directing and executive producing, with Graham Yost among the broader producing team. The project is produced by The Ink Factory, the company founded by le Carré’s sons, in co-production with Amusement Park Film and in association with Paramount Television Studios and other partners.
Legacy of Spies is set to adapt The Spy Who Came in From the Cold while incorporating material from A Legacy of Spies and other works, positioning it as one of the most expansive screen interpretations of le Carré’s fiction to date.
