(AFP dispatch)
Alex Berger, producer of the hit series "Le Bureau des Légendes" (The Bureau), announced to AFP on Tuesday that a project was "in development" to continue the series following French agents
working under false identities, this time on the African continent.The working title is "Le Bureau Afrique." We already have several scripts, but for the moment it remains a project in development," he said in Abidjan, where he is participating in the International Audiovisual Content Exhibition (Sica).
"France's geopolitics are pointing more towards Africa, post-Françafrique. The events that have taken place in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali are things that interest us," he added, referring to the three Sahelian countries that have experienced coups in recent years and turned their backs on France.
Canal+'s flagship series, Le Bureau des Légendes, followed the adventures of French undercover agents abroad, notably in countries such as Iran and Syria, for five seasons, the last of which aired in 2020.
It has been sold in more than 100 countries and has been praised for its realism by the DGSE, the French intelligence services, where the characters work.
"The idea was to leave enough time between the two series so as not to rush a simple sequel. I don't think there will be a season six… although!" says Mr. Berger.
The producer declined to give a date for the start of filming or the country in which the plot would take place.
"When we began developing the idea in 2021, there were five plausible countries for our story," explained Mr. Berger, adding that the list has now been reduced following the coups in the Sahel.
"We're in no rush. Our obsession is to be plausible and credible," he added, noting that he has "three projects that focus on African countries."
"The Agency," a ten-episode American remake, will also air in the United States at the end of the month.
Michael Fassbender will play Martian, a CIA agent forced to leave his undercover life and return to the London office, whose boss is played by Richard Gere.
"It's tremendously well done, it's very serious," said Alex Berger, who attended the filming.