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T10 WHATS UP! November 18 - 24, 2018 ing of "Sympathy for Mr. Ven- geance" (2002), "Oldboy" (2003) and "Lady Vengeance" (2005). In an official news release for "The Little Drummer Girl," the director explained why televi- sion is the right medium for the le Carré tale. "At the core of this story is an extremely painful, but thrill- ing, romance," Chan-wook said. "This is what makes the story universal, reaching be- yond borders and languages and remaining incredibly cur- rent. To adapt such a great work without losing its integri- ty, it needs the time and depth of a television series, and I am excited at the prospect of see- ing how the drumbeats of Flor- ence Pugh, the most energetic young female actor I have seen recently, will resonate with the audience." Chan-wook also had great praise for Pugh's co-star, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Skarsgård: "To play an enigmatic man who hides his true feelings deep inside, I couldn't think of a more fitting actor," the director said. "I believe Skarsgård's growing depth as a great character actor and his soaring energy will ele- vate 'The Little Drummer Girl' to a higher place." The Swedish actor is best known for his roles as vampire Eric Northman in HBO's "True Blood," Perry Wright in the HBO miniseries "Big Little Lies" and as the title character in the 2016 action adventure "The Legend of Tarzan." He decided to pursue acting after serving in a Swedish military unit that dealt with anti-sabo- tage and antiterrorism. After studying theater at Mary- mount Manhattan College in New York, he got his big break as Meekus in the 2001 comedy "Zoolander." Pugh made her film debut as precocious teen Abigail Mor- timer in the British mystery film "The Falling" (2014) before earning critical acclaim for her role as an unhappily married woman in the movie "Lady Macbeth" (2016). She won a British Independent Film Award for her work in the drama. Two-time Oscar nominee Mi- chael Shannon ("Revolutionary Road," 2008) co-stars as spy- master Martin Kurtz, the mas- termind behind the devious plot at the center of the miniseries. Viewers may recognize him as Nelson Van Alden in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," or from his work in films such as "Noc- turnal Animals" (2016) and "99 Homes" (2014). The supporting cast of "The Little Drummer Girl" also in- cludes Clare Holman ("Inspec- tor Morse"), Charles Dance ("Game of Thrones"), Simona Brown ("Kiss Me First"), Max Irons ("Red Riding Hood," 2011), Katharina Schüttler ("The Promise"), Bethany Muir ("About a Boy," 2002) and new- comer Kate Sumpter. With on-location footage and award-winning actors, the new miniseries shows a lot of promise as it brings "The Lit- tle Drummer Girl" to a wider audience, but it's important to note that it isn't the first adap- tation of the novel. In 1984, Di- ane Keaton ("Annie Hall," 1977) starred as Charlie in a film adaptation directed by George Roy Hill ("Butch Cas- sidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969). In that version of the story, Charlie was a thirty- something American actress who becomes involved with a group of Israeli spies. The film debuted to mixed reviews from critics. The miniseries should allow more of the le Carré story to play out for TV viewers as Charlie and Becker become en- tangled in a bomb plot with po- tentially devastating conse- quences. Don't miss the highly anticipated three-night pre- miere of "The Little Drummer Girl," beginning Monday, Nov. 19, on AMC. Alexander Skarsgård stars in "The Little Drummer Girl" continued from page T2 Intrigue, action, romance: AMC's 'The Little Drummer Girl' has it all TV FEATURE