I guess when you have George Clooney saying he’ll direct a new prestige drama series for you, it’s kind of hard to pass up. At least, in the case of Showtime, which just gave a straight-to-series order for a season of “The Department,” directed by the aforementioned Clooney.
According to Variety, George Clooney has signed on to produce and direct the new political thriller, “The Department” for Showtime. The series is the English-language adaptation of the French series, “Le Bureau des Legendes” (aka “The Bureau”). The synopsis says the series follows “the daily life and missions of agents within France’s principal external security service. It focuses on the ‘Bureau of Legends,’ responsible for training and handling deep-cover agents on long-term missions in areas with French interests. Living under false identities for years, these agents’ missions are to identify and recruit good intelligence sources.”
“‘The Department,’ based on the riveting and brilliant series ‘The Bureau,’ will follow in the great tradition of ‘Homeland,’ one of the most successful and brand-defining shows at Showtime,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime and Paramount Media. “Just as ‘Homeland’ elevated global espionage to new heights, ‘The Department’ will take viewers even deeper into a world of intrigue and subterfuge with complicated characters who struggle with their own demons as they fight existential threats to the nation and the world.”
This marks the first TV directing gig for Clooney since 2019’s acclaimed “Catch-22.” His most recent filmmaking work was with 2021’s “The Tender Bar,” which stars Ben Affleck. He’s also finishing up work on his next film, “The Boys in the Boat,” which is expected to debut sometime this year.
Obviously, it’s too early to know when we might see “The Department” arrive on Showtime.