‘Simon Riske’: Netflix and ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ Director Edward Berger to Re-Team for Spy Drama!!

Coming off a very strong showing at the 95th Academy Awards, All Quiet On the Western Front director Edward Berger has his next project at Netflix already on its way. The director, co-writer, and producer of the streaming service’s World War 1 and multi-Oscar-winning film are set to helm a series adaptation of Christopher Reich’s Simon Riske book series.

The report of the new project comes from Deadline, which also provides some insight into what the series’ debut season will be about. Starting in 2018, the Simon Riske book series follows the titular Simon Riske, a freelance industrial spy who finds himself living off the grid until he finds himself on a job that could shift the balance of the Western world as we know it, all set against “the backdrop of the greatest street heist in the history of Paris.” The series began with 2018’s The Take and now also includes three additional novels: Crown Jewel (2019), The Palace (2020), and Once a Thief (2022). The series adaptation will be directed by Berger with Rowan Joffe (Tin Star, The Informer) serving as writer.

The upcoming first season is said to follow the plot of the first book in the series The Take, according to Deadline. When Deadline reached out to Netflix, the streamer declined to comment. The Simon Riske TV series will be a co-production between eOne and See-Saw Films, with Brillstein Creative Partners as a producer. The international spy thriller is currently in early development at Netflix UK.

Berger’s Recent Award-Winning Success

Berger is coming off a weekend that saw him and his team take home four of their nine Academy Awards nominations for their adaptation of All Quiet On the Western Front, which includes Best International Feature, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score. The war picture also saw massive success back in February, taking home a total of 7 BAFTAs including Best Picture. Looking to the future, other projects that Berger is set to work on alongside the Simon Riske adaptation series is another adaptation series, this time for Casey Sherman’s 2022 true crime novel Helltown: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod. The series, which will simply be called Helltown, is being developed at Amazon Studios and will see Berger both direct and executive produce with Oscar Isaac in talks to star in the series.