Florence Pugh (“Lady Macbeth”) is an aspiring actress who lands the role of a lifetime in upcoming miniseries “The Little Drummer Girl”: double agent. As the show’s new trailer reveals, her character, Charlie, is recruited (auditioned?) by espionage expert Kurtz (Michael Shannon) while vacationing in Greece.
“We believe that you have talent that is being wasted,” Kurtz tells Charlie. “If you decide to collaborate on this performance, you will never be wasted again,” he promises. That’s good enough for her. “What’s the character?” she replies.
Charlie will be playing herself — two versions of herself, to be exact. She’ll be reporting back to Kurtz and his team, while also spying on/romancing her mark, the mysterious and dangerous Becker (Alexander Skarsgård). The deeper she delves into her character(s), the murkier her true loyalties. “Don’t confuse drama with reality,” Charlie says at one point, “that’s very dangerous.” She’s ostensibly giving Becker some advice, but it seems she’s really speaking to herself.
Based on John le Carré’s 1983 bestselling spy novel, “The Little Drummer Girl” is directed by Park Chan-wook (“The Handmaiden”). The book was previously adapted into a 1984 film starring Oscar winner Diane Keaton as Charlie.
Pugh won best actress at the British Independent Film Awards last year for her turn as “Lady Macbeth’s” titular femme fatale. Most recently she portrayed favorite daughter Cordelia in Amazon’s “King Lear” miniseries. She’s also set to play Amy in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of “Little Women.”
“The Little Drummer Girl” premieres November 19 on AMC. It will run as a three-night event.
