Netflix has announced The 39 Steps, a limited series that has Benedict Cumberbatch set to star. The project is an update of the classic thriller novel by John Buchan that had been turned into the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. Directing The 39 Steps is Edward Berger, who previously teamed with Cumberbatch on the Showtime series Patrick Melrose, with The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith penning the script. Anonymous Content, Chapter One Pictures, and SunnyMarch are producing.
According to Deadline, there will be six or more hourlong episodes, most likely to shoot next year in Europe when schedules clear. The limited series will bring the story into a contemporary setting, which focuses on a man in London named Richard Hannay, who tries to help a counter-espionage Agent. But when the Agent is killed and Hannay stands accused, he must go on the run to save himself and stop a spy ring that is trying to steal top-secret information.
In addition to his starring role, Cumberbatch will executive produce with his producing partner Adam Ackland via their SunnyMarch studio. Smith and Berger will also serve as executive producers alongside Sophie Gardiner for Chapter One Pictures, Cliff Roberts for Syndicate Entertainment, and Keith Redmon for Anonymous Content.
Cumberbatch currently has several films in post-production, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Power of the Dog, and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. He also has many projects on the horizon, including starring roles in Bart Layton's Rogue Male, Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Rio, another Edward Berger joint, as well as the animated fantasy Magik.
