The movie version of the series, which aired as MI-5 in the U.S., will be directed by Bharat Nalluri, the originating director on the TV series.
The plot details the story of an agent (Harington) investigating how a terrorist escaped from custody during a routine handover against the ticking clock of an imminent terror attack on London. Best known to Game of Thrones fans for his turn as Night’s Watchman Jon Snow, Harrington will play ex-MI5 operative Will Crombie, the former protege of MI-5 Head of Counter Terrorism Harry Pearce (Firth).
Ehle won a BAFTA for her portrayal of the iconic Elizabeth Bennett in the 1995 TV miniseries Pride and Prejudice alongside Colin Firth as Mr Darcy and went on to star again with Firth in The King’s Speech.
Written by Spooks collaborators Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent, the film will be produced by the series' TV producers Jane Featherstone and Stephen Garrett alongside Ollie Madden (Sherlock Holmes) for Shine Pictures. Production is set to start in the first quarter of 2014.
Altitude Film Sales is handling worldwide sales of Spooks: The Greater Good at AFM.
"With Spooks: The Greater Good we’ve set out to make a gripping, cinematic, contemporary spy thriller -- one that builds on the history of the show and its legacy of questioning the world around us, but which also delivers as a stand-alone film for a new, global audience," said Shine Pictures' Garrett.