How the creators of HBO's The Sympathizer turned the bestselling novel into a dark, comic romp for TV
The Sympathizer, adapted from the book of the same name, tells the story of a double agent working during the Vietnam War. Its co-creator, Canadian Don McKellar, says it was a rewarding but challenging exercise in throwing away preconceived notions.
![How the creators of HBO's The Sympathizer turned the bestselling novel into a dark, comic romp for TV](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7172962.1712966317!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/the-sympathizer.jpg)
![Ho Xuande, left, appears in a still with Robert Downey Jr. from the HBO series The Sympathizer. A man wearing a tux leans over to speak with an older man. They are both seated at a dinner table, and are looking at something off frame](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7172962.1712966317!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/the-sympathizer.jpg)
The Sympathizer, adapted from the book of the same name, tells the story of a double agent working during the Vietnam War. Its co-creator, Canadian Don McKellar, says it was a rewarding but challenging exercise in throwing away preconceived notions.