Helen Mirren To Play MI6 Boss In Colin Firth‘s TV Drama

The 71-year-old actress is set to return to television screens for the first time in a decade.

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Colin, 55, bought the rights to turn Charles Cumming’s Thomas Kell spy novels into a six-part series and ITV are believed to want to broadcast the drama - which is hoped will be as successful as the BBC’s recent spy series The Night Manager that starred Tom Hiddleston - next year.

A source told The Sun newspaper: “Helen is interested in playing the role as it’s a key character that just doesn’t sit around in an office. The books are great and Colin has been interested in them for years since he read the first one.

"Since ‘The Night Manager’ TV bosses have been desperate to get their hands on the next big British spy drama because it was so successful around the world. Getting such a high profile and well-loved actress like Helen on board is a real coup.”

So, if Ralph Fiennes quits as M in James Bond, Helen can play the spy boss in the franchise alongside Tom Hiddleston as the titular spy?

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We love to speculate.

The Oscar-winning actress will star as Amelia Levene, who goes missing and disgraced veteran spy Kell - who will be played by Colin - is called up to track her across Europe.

Dame Helen previously starred as police detective Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect until 2006 and has since enjoyed a glittering career in Hollywood, starring in blockbusters like Red alongside Brice Willis, State of Play with Russell Crowe, Calendar Girls, Gosford Park and biopic The Queen - a performance which won her the Best Actress Oscar in 2007.

She recently nabbed a role in Fast 8 alongside Vin Diesel, 49, Michelle Rodriguez, 38, and Jason Statham, 49, after she publicly declared she wanted to star in the action franchise.