Netflix miniseries on legendary Israeli spy to drop September 6
First photos released of Sacha Baron Cohen in role of Eli Cohen, the Jewish state’s top agent in Syria in the 1960s
A new Netflix series starring Sacha Baron Cohen as Eli Cohen, a spy for Israel in Syria in the early 1960s, will be released on September 6.
Netflix on Wednesday released the first stills from the six-episode drama, “The Spy,” as the premiere date was set.
The show was written and directed by Israeli Gideon Raff, best known for the Hebrew-language drama series “Hatufim” (Prisoners of War) and its acclaimed US adaptation, “Homeland.”
Mossad agent Cohen was put on trial and executed by Syria for espionage on May 18, 1965, after he successfully infiltrated the Syrian government under the alias Kamel Amin Thaabet for four years. The intelligence he conveyed during that period was credited by then-prime minister Levi Eshkol with having greatly assisted Israel during the Six Day War.
Five decades on, Israel has not given up on retrieving Cohen’s remains from Syria and bringing them to Israel for burial.
The Spy First Look Images: Netflix Sets Premiere For New Limited Series #Netflix #ComingSoon pic.twitter.com/lGNtiHYyvb
— Netflix Updates (@Netflix_Updates) August 14, 2019
Netflix's 'The Spy' will feature a fairly rare dramatic turn for @SachaBaronCohen. Here's when the limited series will premiere: https://t.co/iia5zyXYlZ
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 15, 2019
Jewish Londoner Baron Cohen shot to fame as the satirical character Ali G. and went on to make films such as “Borat,” “The Dictator” and “The Brothers Grimsby.” In the recent series “Who Is America,” Cohen pranked US politicians by posing as an Israeli counterterrorism expert, earning laughs — and a Golden Globes nomination for best musical or comedy television actor.
JTA contributed to this report.
