Night Manager follows Jonathan Pine, a former British soldier-turned-night luxurious hotel night auditor. Pine crosses paths with a French-Arab woman named Sophie with ties to Richard Onslow Roper, an English black marketer who specializes in weapons. The woman provides Pine with incriminating documents, which he forwards to a friend in British intelligence. After Sophie winds up dead, Pine works with intelligence operatives and goes undercover as part of a sting against Roper to avenge Sophie's death.
Laurie was massively popular in his last U.S. series House. And Hiddleston brings with him the mass of Avengers and Thor fans who will check out at least one episode. This show immediately has broad reach into a diverse fan base. So you have two of Britain's top leading men starring in an adaptation of a novel from one of that nation's elder statesmen of spy thrillers. WME, who reps both leading men, is fielding those offers, and clicking their heels.
Ink Factory, who produced another le Carre adaptation, Anton Corbijn's A Most Wanted Man, is producing. David Farr (Hanna and Spooks (or MI-5 in the U.S.)) is penning the adaptation. With his pedigree of prior espionage experience under his belt I think the series is in good hands.