Movies News Talk

Slow Horses Movie Spin-off: 'The Secret Hours' Coming Soon?

Slow Horses: A movie Spinoff on the Horizon? The Showrunner Weighs In!

Slow Horses Season 4 Ends, But Will The Story Continue On The Big Screen?

Slow Horses, that brilliant Apple TV+ spy thriller based on Mick Herron's novels, has ended its fourth season! The show’s popularity and excellent writing has led many fans to demand continued stories. That showrunner Will Smith has hinted at a possible adaptation of Herron's latest book, The Secret Hours! This new novel adds a whole new layer to that already amazing Slough House universe.

Herron, in a recent interview with Collider, mentioned this new spin-off book could either become a movie, or a limited series and the reasoning for making this decision comes directly from Herron’s insights. He says:

"I do think, though, there's a great book he wrote, the last book that came out, which is in the Slough House universe, and Slow Horses do come into it, which is called The Secret Hours. That could be a movie or a more limited number just because of the nature of that story. But in terms of the main books, I think six is the one."

This suggests a film adaptation of The Secret Hours makes more sense— this specific novel, because of its inherent plot structure and themes; it isn't just limited to that classic spy thriller that Slow Horses is famous for and provides a vastly different creative choice which makes adapting into a movie more possible, generating an enormous amount of curiosity!

Also Read: Slow Horses Season 5: Will Frank Harkness Return? Apple TV+ Spy Thriller Scoop

The Secret Hours: A New Chapter in the Slough House Universe

Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb in the Slow Horses season 4 finale Image

While Slow Horses focuses on Slough House's misfit spies, The Secret Hours opens a new door to espionage lore! It dives into another storyline using new characters; while maintaining the smart writing that makes Slow Horses so engaging. It's a fresh narrative.  And it looks at a key historical inquiry, called Monochrome:  a deep investigation that digs up major scandals in British intelligence; it also takes into account how a potentially powerful figure in authority, a hostile prime minister; attempting to shut down any ongoing investigations, despite clear signs of wrongdoing.

This makes for a surprisingly amazing opportunity to give those people who may not have yet been exposed to Slow Horses; something easily understandable without sacrificing quality of content and it uses a style to help those viewers already familiar with the existing show, to remain entertained.

Also Read: Slow Horses Season 5 Confirmed: Get Ready for More Espionage!

Why a Slow Horses Movie Makes Total Sense

Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving) giving instructions to Patrice (Tom Wozniczka) to intercept the van transporting River in Slow Horses Season 4 Episode 5 Image

Adapting The Secret Hours into a movie lets Apple TV+ showcase Herron's writing; bringing this intense yet uniquely intriguing style of narrative to a much bigger audience; it presents those opportunities to expand upon the Slough House world but with a potentially less intense experience than what Slow Horses generally demonstrates!  It will totally capture a much different perspective within espionage without having to introduce some characters that fans have already been following throughout four seasons; these elements greatly benefit from creating and adapting these aspects from the novel’s specific storytelling arc, while also allowing those elements that are unique to the novel's own universe, become unique cinematic opportunities.

Also Read: Slow Horses: Jackson Lamb's Genius - Why He's the Heart of the Show

Conclusion: Get Ready for More Espionage Action!

Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb eating ice cream in the season 3 finale of Slow Horses Image

Although there’s nothing concrete yet, the possibility of The Secret Hours movie is insanely exciting for fans! Slow Horses has already made its mark on Apple TV+—that potentially brilliant new adaptation showcases how clever this entire cinematic adaptation was and emphasizes a major selling point— continuing the legacy for this show without losing quality. The specific choice here, to adopt a cinematic model of storytelling for this particular plot and storyline highlights why many long-time viewers of this genre will appreciate the change, showcasing yet another direction which allows this series, this brilliant show to continue its own life long past those four seasons of television releases; continuing to generate income for studios but also generating entertainment, suspense, thrills and plenty of drama; the things most viewers of these kind of shows appreciate. Whether that would eventually become its own ongoing series is anyone’s guess; this particular adaptation provides excellent reasons for generating excitement!

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