Chinese-language remake ‘The Night Manager’ expands cast
The Ink Factory has completed the supporting ensemble for the Chinese-language “The Night Manager” series, adding six cast members and two special appearances as the production heads into Youku in late 2026. The news was timed during the company’s presence at FilMart in Hong Kong this week.
The previously announced leads – Eddie Peng and Sean Lau as lead actor Jonathan Chan and arms magnate Richard Kwok, Isabella Leong as Kwok’s girlfriend Jed Cheung and Carman Lee as ICAC investigator Angela Fok – are now joined by Michael Dao, Frederick Lee, George Au, Alan Luk, Justin Chu and Elizabeth Tang in supporting roles, with Carl Ng and Amy Lo making special appearances.
One of the more notable casting pieces is Dao, whose character Peter Kong is a newly written role – Kwok’s uncle – who has no direct equivalent in Le Carré’s source novel. Dao and Lau trained together during TVB’s Artiste Training Class in 1983, and despite becoming a fixture in Hong Kong film culture in the decades since, the two have not appeared on screen together in almost 35 years.
Malaysian actor Frederick Lee takes on the role of Ken Lai, Kwok’s security chief – the equivalent of Lance “Corky” Corkoran in the novel. Lee won Best Actor at the 2024 Asian Television Awards for his work on ‘Taiwan Crime Stories’. George Au, fresh off his role in “Left on Read,” plays Franco, another original creation, positioned as Ken Lai’s son and a familiar figure within Kwok’s orbit.
The two special performances carry their own importance. Amy Lo, whose background includes both Cantonese and Costa Rican descent, takes on Ah Bo, a woman from Jonathan Chan’s past whose reappearance in his life sets off the central undercover operation. In addition to her film work, Lo has built a music career, releasing four singles since her debut last year and winning several awards. Carl Ng – whose father is the Hong Kong comedy’s Richard Ng – plays Harry Garrigan, an Irish intelligence agent known as “Happy Joe,” whose personal history with Jonathan Chan becomes a source of friction throughout the series. Both Lo and Ng have worked with lead Peng before.
Completing the ICAC unit around Carman Lee’s character are Alan Luk as Man Tai, Justin Chu as Ricky and Elizabeth Tang as Bai Hui. Tang has been turning heads lately, earning Best Supporting Actress nominations at both the Golden Horse Awards and the upcoming Hong Kong Film Awards for her performance in “Girlfriends.”
Simon Cornwell and Stephen Cornwell, founders and co-CEOs of The Ink Factory, said the project had enabled them to serve talent at different stages of their careers. “This adaptation of ‘The Night Manager’ is – like the original British version – a wonderful vehicle for both celebrated established acting talent and exciting rising stars to sink their teeth into the layered, complex characters that populate Le Carré’s novel,” they said. “We have also had the pleasure of creating new roles in the spirit of le Carré and the world of the original, adding new dimensions and fresh angles to this bold and original retelling of the classic story.”
Alistair Jennings, senior VP APAC sales and partnerships at Fifth Season, which holds global sales rights outside mainland China, pointed to the IP’s enduring commercial appeal. “Since its TV premiere ten years ago, ‘The Night Manager’ has continued to captivate and delight fans around the world,” he said. “Set against the backdrop of Thailand, Macau and Hong Kong, this new Chinese-language adaptation brings together some of Asia’s most beloved talents from across the region. Together with our partners at The Ink Factory and 127 Wall Productions, we are proud to bring this premium and highly authentic pan-Asian production to life this week – and at the International Film & TV Market (FilMart) in Hong Kong.”
The series was shot in Hong Kong, Macau, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi and Phuket, transposing Le Carré’s espionage framework into a contemporary Asian setting. Hong Kong director Kelvin KinLong Chan (“Hand Rolled Cigarette”) leads the production, based on scripts by Cheung Feifan and He Liangyu, both veterans of the “Cold War 1994” franchise. Donghui Wang leads the executive production team along with producer Julia Song and executive producer Chris Cornwell. Joe Tsai and Arthur Wang are executive producers for co-production partner 127 Wall Productions.
Other executive producers include Simon Cornwell, Stephen Cornwell, Michele Wolkoff and Tessa Inkelaar for The Ink Factory; Clare Cornwell for the John le Carré estate; Susanne Bier; Stephen Garrett for character 7; David Farr; and William B. Johnson for Demarest Films.
