Normal People star Paul Mescal has been cast as the lead in a new film adaptation of the Alec Milius spy series.
A Spy By Nature will see the 26-year-old play Milius, a gifted but disillusioned 20-something who begins working for MI6 and must balance his new secret life with maintaining his relationship with his girlfriend.
Director Kevin Macdonald said: "I've wanted to make A Spy By Nature for many years – and when I met Paul Mescal, with his beguiling mixture of intelligence, skill and youth, I knew I'd found the perfect star.
"This is a very modern spy story – sexy, dangerous, morally ambivalent – and only an actor of Paul's talent could pull it off."
Exec producer Gabrielle Stewart added: "Paul Mescal feels like the actor of the moment, so to have him team up with Kevin Macdonald to bring to the screen the compelling origins story of popular young spy Alec Milius is extremely exciting.
"We love the fresh setting of millennial contemporary London and the modernity of the characters and their relationships.
"I feel confident we will all want to revisit this young spy in his next adventure with what could be the beginning of an exciting new franchise."
The movie is expected to be filmed in 2023.
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