Fellner On Smiley's Pepole Movie

Producer Eric Fellner tells Collider that the film adaptation of author John le Carré's novel "Smiley's People" is still in the works and will serve as the sequel to last year's acclaimed "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy."

Fellner says: "We are working on another one. [Producer] Tim Bevan is putting it together as we speak with [screenwriter] Peter Straughan and [director] Tomas Alfredson, so yes it’s in development. 'Tinker' did unbelievably well and it didn’t cost hardly anything… But things take time. Tim is passionate about making sure we do another one."

Le Carre penned eight books with the George Smiley character, and 'Tinker' was the first part of what's known as The Karla trilogy. Smiley plays only a small role in the next book, a mostly South East-Asian set "The Honourable Schoolboy". That book is really a stand alone story, save for a few scenes dealing with the aftermath of events in 'Tinker'.

The filmmakers are going adapt the third novel "People," an adaptation that will also incorporate the key scenes from 'Schoolboy'.

In 'People', Smiley is called out from retirement for the last time to investigate the death of one of his old agents, a former Soviet General and the head of an Estonian emigration organisation based in London. Smiley learns the General had discovered information which leads to a final confrontation with Smiley's nemesis, the Soviet spy-master Karla.