Chinese Adaptation of The Night Manager Adds to Cast Ahead of Filmart
The Ink Factory has expanded the cast of its Chinese-language adaptation of The Night Manager, adding a slate of new supporting players and special appearances. The additional lineup was unveiled on the eve of Hong Kong’s Filmart — Asia’s leading film and television content market, running March 17–20 — where the title could be a top draw among regional buyers.
The new additions include veteran Hong Kong actor Michael Dao, Malaysian actor Frederick Lee, rising Hong Kong actor George Au, and Hong Kong performers Alan Luk, Justin Chu and Elizabeth Tang, alongside special appearances by Carl Ng and Amy Lo. The names join the previously announced leads Eddie Peng and Sean Lau, alongside Isabella Leong and Carman Lee.
The project is a pan-Asian reimagining of John le Carré’s espionage classic, produced with 127 Wall Productions and set to premiere on Youku in mainland China in late 2026, with Fifth Season handling global sales outside China.
Peng, a Taiwan-born star with major commercial pull across the Chinese-speaking world, has anchored big-ticket films such as Dante Lam’s Operation Mekong and recently earned a Cannes Un Certain Regard win with Black Dog. Lau, one of Hong Kong cinema’s most decorated A-listers, remains a durable draw in both prestige and commercial fare, with recent credits including the hit Detective vs Sleuths and the acclaimed drama Papa.
Directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Kelvin KinLong Chan (Hand Rolled Cigarette, Left on Read) and written by Cheung Feifan and He Liangyu, the adaptation shifts the story to an Asian setting spanning Thailand, Macau and Hong Kong. Peng plays Jonathan Chan, the night manager of Bangkok’s Emerald Palace Hotel, who is recruited by anti-corruption investigator Angela Fok (Lee) to infiltrate the empire of arms-trading tycoon Richard Kwok (Lau) — a mission complicated by his growing connection to Kwok’s girlfriend, Jed Cheung (Leong).
Among the newly announced roles, Dao plays Peter Kong, a character created for the adaptation and the uncle of Lau’s tycoon, marking the first on-screen collaboration between Dao and Lau in nearly 35 years after the pair studied together in TVB’s Artiste Training Class of 1983. Lee, who won best actor at the 2024 Asian Television Awards for Taiwan Crime Stories, joins as Kwok’s security advisor Ken Lai. Au plays Franco, another newly created character — Ken’s son and a key member of Kwok’s inner circle.
Lo appears as Ah Bo (aka Sophie Alekan), a figure from Jonathan Chan’s past who becomes the catalyst for his undercover mission. Ng plays Irish intelligence operative Harry Garrigan (“Happy Joe”), whose relationship with Jonathan adds another layer of volatility to the operation. The ICAC team around Carman Lee’s Angela Fok also expands with Luk, Chu and Tang as fellow officers.
Simon Cornwell and Stephen Cornwell, founders and co-CEOs of The Ink Factory, said: “This adaptation of The Night Manager – like the original UK version – is a wonderful vehicle both for celebrated established acting talent, as well as for exciting rising stars, to get their teeth into the layered, complex characters that populate le Carré’s novel.”
Alistair Jennings, svp APAC sales and partnerships at Fifth Season, added: “This new Chinese language adaptation is set against the backdrop of Thailand, Macau and Hong Kong and brings together some of Asia’s most beloved talent from across the region.”
The series is shooting across Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand, with executive producers including Joe Tsai and Arthur Wang for 127 Wall Productions and the Cornwell brothers for The Ink Factory, alongside a team that includes Susanne Bier, Stephen Garrett for Character 7 and Clare Cornwell for the John le Carré estate.
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