The Night Manager II in early development

The partners behind The Night Manager confirmed this morning that they are developing a “potential second series”.

The Ink Factory, the prodco run by John Le Carre’s sons Simon and Stephen Cornwell, UK pubcaster the BBC, and US cable net AMC joined forces for to make the first season of the John le Carré adaptation.

In the wake of a story in UK trade Broadcast early this week, they confirmed work was now underway on a possible season two.

“The Ink Factory, AMC and the BBC are in the early stages of developing a potential second series of The Night Manager, but nothing is definite yet and we have nothing to announce,” a joint statement read.

The possibility of a second run of the glossy arms dealing thriller – which drew comparisons with the James Bond franchise – comes as The Ink Factory starts work on another John le Carré TV series for the BBC and AMC, with The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, being written for the small screen by Slumdog Millionaire scribe Simon Beaufoy.

Paramount Worldwide Television Licensing & Distribution, which is better known for selling features, will handle international sales of that show.

A second season of The Night Manager would mark the first time a Le Carré project has carried on beyond the point where the author left it.

Simon Cornwell was keen to note this week there is not yet a script or a commission.

“While we would love to be able to continue the story of The Night Manager, there are currently no scripts, and no confirmation of anything in place for a second season,” he said.

Asked late last year about the possibility of more of the series he told TBI: “There are lots of avenues you could go down. Obviously the show has been very successful, and it would be weird if we didn’t have those conversations.

“There’s a lot of interest, but also a lot of Le Carré books not adapted yet.”