Netflix's New Adaptation Of Acclaimed Spy Novel Is John Wick Meets Slow Horses

Published Sep 2, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT Cher Thompson is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, where she covers everything from explosive reality TV moments to cast interviews about the twists and turns of scripted dramas. With a background in creative writing, marketing, and teaching, Cher knows how to spot both the storytelling genius and the guilty pleasures in pop culture. Her work blends wit with insight, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend who just happens to know way too much about TV. Streaming TV has changed what viewers expect from storytelling on the small screen, and with shows like the upcoming Netflix adaptation of a bestselling novel series taking inspiration from successful franchises, it makes sense as to why. While network TV has its own sets of rules and quirks, streaming shows are free from the limitations of traditional TV, which allows their creative teams to think outside the box. Streaming shows pursue more cinematic styles, complicated plots, and take visuals into consideration in a completely different way. The evolution has been especially noticeable with crime dramas, action thrillers, and spy shows. The biggest difference between streaming and network shows tends to be the fact that streamers have the ability to make their shows look and feel cinematic in nature. Delivering on a higher scale not only visually, but with their story choices and talent, streaming shows have been able to break the traditional "TV" mold. Series like Apple TV's Slow Horses take this approach, combining espionage with character drama, dark comedy, and a bit of mystery on a larger scale than it could've otherwise. In terms of its unique premise, Slow Horses has echoes of a page-turner or an action film. Established universes, like the world of John Wick for example, also provide a great foundation for streaming. One upcoming project will combine the two worlds, bringing John R. Maxim's Bannerman novels to life in a large-scale series that will bring sharp espionage storytelling in conjunction with a touch of action. Credit: MovieStillsDB Adapting the novels from John R. Maxim's Bannerman series, which debuted in 1989 and ran through 2003, Netflix's newest project will blend the premise of John Wick with the sensibilities of Apple TV's Slow Horses for a whole new series. Bannerman focuses on Paul Bannerman, a former covert operative who attempts to retire with a group of his peers, but things don't work out as easily as they'd hoped. Rather than enjoying a quiet retirement in suburban Connecticut, the retirees are pulled back into a world of old foes, suspicion, and espionage that they were hoping to be free of. The premise itself creates enough of a foundation for a John Wick comparison, as the film franchise saw a retired hit man pulled back into the life he left behind. With Bannerman also following someone who's unable to leave their past behind, the upcoming series also shares a lot with Apple TV's Slow Horses, which sees a group of MI5 rejects working together against threats despite their status. Pulling together themes of a comeback, exile, and the constant pull of the world of espionage, Bannerman is likely to make a splash with its unique premise and popular original source material. Although the world of spy TV has grown to become an increasingly crowded space in the past years, especially with the advent of streaming, Bannerman can stand out in a genre that has many standouts already. The series has a unique twist to it in bringing in retired operatives, which allows for the show to play on the idea of having to navigate a comeback while also maintaining the fact that its main character has the expertise to be far beyond the skill level of someone starting out. The series will allow its central character to live in two worlds. Bannerman also has the benefit of having been a long-planned series, as the show has had an unusually long development period. The series was first announced in early 2023, but things took roughly three years to get underway, with the show only being moved into the production phase earlier in 2026. Now, without a release date but with more understanding of what the Bannerman series will look like, it's clear that Netflix has something exciting in the works. With a mixture of popular franchises that have pushed boundaries, Bannerman will be able to deliver on its premise and then some. Slow Horses Release Date April 1, 2022 Network Apple TV+ Slow Horses is an adaptation of CWA Gold Dagger Award-winning "Slow Horses" novels, which follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 – Slough House. Gary Oldman stars as Jackson Lamb, the brilliant but irascible leader of the spies who end up in Slough House due to their career-ending mistakes. Movie(s) John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, John Wick: Chapter 4, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina TV Show(s) The Continental Video Game(s) John Wick Hex First Film John Wick First TV Show The Continental Genres Action, Drama "John Wick" is a neo-noir action-thriller franchise centered around a retired hitman who returns to the criminal underworld to seek vengeance. Known for its intense and stylistic action sequences, the franchise has redefined modern action cinema with its choreographed gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and intricate world-building. The series explores themes of loyalty, honor, and survival in a secret society of assassins.