Slow Horses Star Gary Oldman Wants To Adapt All 9 Books In Mick Herron's Series

Summary Gary Oldman is keen to adapt all nine novels by Mick Herron, with Slow Horses already confirmed for season 5.

Slow Horses has gone in order, adapting one book per season.

The upcoming season 4 is based on Spook Street.

Slow Horses star Gary Oldman says that he'd like to adapt all nine novels written by Mick Herron. Debuting in April 2022 on Apple TV+, the spy thriller reveals what administrative purgatory is like for those who've been rejected or demoted from MI5. It centers around Slough House, where the downgraded agents are expected to do dull tasks under the supervision of experienced intelligence officer Jackson Lamb (Oldman). But somehow, they always tend to end up investigating far more serious threats. The cast of Slow Horses also includes Jack Lowden, Rosalind Eleazar, Saskia Reeves, Christopher Chung, and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Oldman reflected on the spy thriller in an interview with IndieWire, and the Oscar winner was candid when asked how long he would like to continue playing Jackson Lamb. With Slow Horses season 5 already confirmed, Oldman said he would be happy to appear in all eight Mick Herron adaptations — including a ninth which is currently being written. Still, the actor notes, that depends on how long Apple decides to renew the series. The quote is below:

“If this were to be the last thing I do — and it’s up to Apple whether they keep us on the air, because they write the checks — but if they’re happy to keep us on the air, then I’m very happy to do this and do all eight books. And since we started, [Mick Herron] has written another one, so who knows? Maybe it’ll be nine books, and I’ll be happy to play Jackson Lambe [in all of them.]”

Slow Horses season 4 will debut later in 2024.

What Books Have Slow Horses Already Adapted?

Will It Get To Adapt All Nine?

Close

The upcoming Slow Horses season 4 will be based on Spook Street, which is premised around what happens when the grandfather of River (Lowden) begins to lose his grip on reality.

Slow Horses has gone in order so far, meaning that the first season was based on the first book in the series. Meanwhile, season 2 was based on Dead Lions, and season 3 took inspiration from the third novel, Real Tigers. The upcoming Slow Horses season 4 will be based on Spook Street, which is premised around what happens when the grandfather of River (Lowden) begins to lose his grip on reality. This sets the stage for Jonathan Pryce, who plays River's grandfather, David, to take center stage.

Slow Horses Book Title Year Released Slow Horses 2010 Dead Lions 2013 Real Tigers 2016 Spook Street 2017 London Rules 2018 Joe Country 2019 Slough House 2021 Bad Actors 2022

Herron has also written four Slow Horses novellas, along with four novels that take place in the same universe and feature some of the same characters as the Slough House books. The character of Jackson Lamb appears in all the main novels, which means that Oldman could very well be playing the character for years to come.

Related All 18 Slow Horses Episodes, Ranked Slow Horses is one of the best spy thrillers on TV, with very few dud episodes. However, despite its success, some are still better than others.

Oldman's interview arrives as the Slow Horses television adaptation is campaigning to be nominated at the next Primetime Emmys. If it does get nominated or potentially even win in one of the major categories, it could encourage an extended renewal. As it stands, although Apple TV+ does not disclose viewership numbers, it has touted the spy thriller as one of its top titles.

Slow Horses is available to stream on Apple TV+.

Source: IndieWire