A major new Paramount+ series based on hit French show Le Bureau des Légendes is entering production at a UK studio, with George Clooney among the executive producers.

The Department, comprising 10 x 60’ episodes, is directed by Joe Wright from scripts by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth; it is commissioned by Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and produced in association with 101 Studios.

Clooney and Grant Heslov will executive produce through their Smokehouse Pictures along with David C. Glasser and 101 Studios; Wright and the Butterworths also exec produce.

Subscribers to Production Intelligence (PI) have had access to key details on The Department since February, including crucial UK HoDs, prep and shoot dates and the UK studio at which the production is based. Non-subscribers can click here to request a free online demo of PI.

Le Bureau – as it is also known – centres on the daily life and missions of agents within France’s principal external security service, in particular the “Bureau of Legends,” responsible for training and handling deep-cover agents on long-term missions in areas with French interests. The award-winning French drama has garnered several awards alongside critical acclaim.

When the show was first confirmed, Chris McCarthy, president/CEO Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, said: “Joe Wright is a visionary director with a gift of focusing on intricate details to craft immersive and visually striking stories.

“And Jez and John-Henry are masterful writers whose witty and emotionally charged language dives deep into their characters’ moral complexities, while simultaneously creating a propulsive narrative. Bringing these powerhouse creatives together alongside George Clooney and Grant Heslov is sure to give The Bureau the reinvention it deserves.”