Apple TV+ is developing a new eight-episode spy thriller that may fill the gap for viewers looking beyond Slow Horses. Titled Safe Houses, the series adapts the novel by Dan Fesperman and centers on the fallout from the murder of a senior CIA official. While comparisons to Slow Horses are inevitable, early casting decisions suggest the project is leaning into one of the espionage genre’s most reliable strengths: strong, character-driven performances anchored by experienced actors.
According to industry reports, Jennifer Connelly is in talks to play Elizabeth Winthrop, the widow of the murdered CIA officer. Opposite her, Ana de Armas is reportedly set to portray Sofia Jiménez, an intelligence operative accused of the crime and forced to go on the run. The dynamic positions the series around conflicting perspectives—grief, suspicion, and survival—rather than pure action spectacle.
The casting of de Armas is particularly notable. In recent years, she has steadily built credibility within the action and spy space. Her brief but memorable role as Paloma in No Time to Die demonstrated an ability to combine humor, physicality, and sharp timing within a high-stakes espionage setting. Although her screen time in the Bond film was limited, the performance left a clear impression and pointed to larger genre potential.
Since then, de Armas has expanded her action résumé. She appeared in The Gray Man as a CIA agent involved in covert operations and took on another globe-trotting role in Ghosted. Most recently, she led From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, an action-heavy spin-off that required sustained physical performance and placed her at the center of large-scale fight choreography. While Ballerina is not a traditional spy narrative, it reinforced her capacity to carry a high-intensity thriller.
Safe Houses appears to be building on that trajectory. Unlike ensemble-driven espionage dramas that spread focus across multiple operatives, this adaptation seems positioned to explore character psychology alongside political intrigue. That approach mirrors one of the enduring strengths of Slow Horses: a mix of established talent and narrative tension grounded in flawed, human intelligence officers rather than invincible agents.
If the series secures both Connelly and de Armas, Apple TV+ would be pairing two performers capable of elevating dialogue-heavy confrontations as well as suspense sequences. For a streaming landscape crowded with espionage content, that balance could be crucial.
With production details still emerging, Safe Houses has the ingredients to become a viable successor for audiences seeking grounded spy storytelling. Much will depend on execution, but the early casting indicates Apple TV+ is prioritizing performance and character complexity over spectacle alone.
