News

Exclusive: Peter Kosminsky, the BAFTA-winning television director and writer, has claimed that the funding emergency for British dramas is the “greatest crisis we’ve ever faced in my working lifetime.”

In an exclusive interview with Deadline, the Wolf Hall director claimed that the industry is in danger of self-censoring provocative, public-interest series because of the risk that they won’t secure the necessary finance to enter production.

The funding crisis is dominating discussions in the UK scripted community, as executives lament a perfect storm of issues, including U.S. streamers pulling back from co-production, shrinking international sales advances, persistent inflation, ad revenue declines, and BBC funding cuts.

Pact, the UK producer trade body, estimates that there are around 15 British series that have been greenlit but are unable to enter production because of funding shortfalls. The BBC has admitted multiple shows are in “limbo,” with Deadline revealing that one series experiencing...

Director Peter Kosminsky, known for the acclaimed Wolf Hall, is raising concerns about the state of high-budget TV in the UK. In evidence submitted to a parliamentary inquiry, he explained how The Mirror and the Light, the follow-up to Wolf Hall, barely made it to screens.

Kosminsky shared that if they tried to create The Mirror and the Light today, it simply wouldn’t happen. Even with the success of Wolf Hall, which starred Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and earned multiple awards, including a Golden Globe, streamers turned down the final chapter of Hilary Mantel’s trilogy.

The production only moved forward because key team members, including the lead actor, writer, and director, agreed to work for reduced fees. Kosminsky noted they had spent ten years developing the series, but the financial realities of making it were brutal.

When the series finally aired on BBC One, Kosminsky pointed out...

Wolf Hall director Peter Kosminsky has revealed that Mark Rylance took a “significant” pay cut on the Tudor drama after streamers declined to co-produce Season 2 with the BBC.

In written evidence to British lawmakers, Kosminsky said it was only possible to begin production on the Golden Globe-winning series after “the producer, the writer, the director and the leading actor all gave up a significant proportion of their fees.”

Reflecting on the Playground drama, titled Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, he added: “We had shepherded the series through a ten-year development process but, in the end, it was necessary for us to work for very little to get the show made.” PBS boarded the Hilary Mantel series in the U.S.

He said Wolf Hall was indicative of a wider reticence among U.S. streamers to invest in British storytelling. The BBC and others have said that the shrinking...

“Wolf Hall” director Peter Kosminsky is sounding the alarm about the state of U.K. high-end television, writing in evidence submitted to a parliamentary committee that the series’ second part, “The Mirror and the Light,” nearly didn’t get made.

In a submission to the culture, media and sport committee’s inquiry into British film and high-end TV, Kosminsky said that “were we to try to make ‘The Mirror and the Light’ today, we would not succeed.”

“Wolf Hall,” which debuted in 2015 on BBC Two, stars Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell in an adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s first two novels in the trilogy of the same name. It earned international acclaim, receiving eight Emmy nominations and winning best miniseries or TV film at the Golden Globes. Despite this, Kosminsky said that when he pitched final chapter “The Mirror and the Light” to streamers, “they all turned it down.”

“It...

Claire van Kampen, a composer of music for plays and television dramas, as well as a director, writer and frequent collaborator of her Oscar-winning husband Mark Rylance, died Saturday morning at age 71, her family has announced.

Formally know as Lady Rylance, van Kampen died in the ancient town of Kassel, Germany, surrounded by her family, said a statement issued by Mark Rylance and van Kampen’s daughter Juliet Rylance.

The statement noted that van Kampen died on Mark Rylance’s 65th birthday.

Van Kampen was an accomplished musicologist, and her compositions graced many theatrical productions in London and on Broadway. Her first credited Broadway score was for Sam Shepard’s True West in 2000, which starred Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Robert LuPone and Celia Weston.

Five other shows, including Boeing-Boeing, La Bête, Richard III, Twelfth Night and Farinelli and the King all starred her husband.

Van Kampen wrote...

Majesty, a new ITV period drama, aims to portray Queen Elizabeth I’s early life through a daring and modern lens. The project, created by former Grey’s Anatomy showrunners Joan Rater, Tony Phelan, and William Harper, will follow Elizabeth’s formative years at King Henry VIII’s court, combining historical intrigue with speculative narrative.

The series, directed by James Strong (Mr Bates vs the Post Office), will center on conspiracy theories surrounding Elizabeth’s early years. While Elizabeth I is frequently portrayed as a formidable ruler who reigned for nearly 50 years, Majesty takes a different perspective, delving into her early difficulties and secrets. The show’s makers describe it as “an emotional, funny, and contemporary-feeling alternate history about how three outsiders try to stay alive while hiding a secret that, if discovered, would rock England to its foundations.”

This unique perspective comes as Tudor-era dramas regain appeal. The BBC has...

After a long wait nine years, to be precise the tense, critically acclaimed Tudor drama Wolf Hall has returned to the BBC and BBC iPlayer for season 2 with an explosive opening in episode 1, "The Mirror and the Light". The series plunges viewers into the treacherous world of the Tudor court, chronicling the extraordinary rise of Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) from humble beginnings to a pinnacle of power. The new season has been highly anticipated following the release of first-look images of Wolf Hall season 2 this spring.

Wolf Hall season 1 has an incredible 99% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, similar to the impressive 100% score of The Serpent Queen. Viewers who love high-quality period pieces and perhaps have been disappointed by The Serpent Queen being canceled despite its 100% can find some consolation in this equally gripping historical drama returning to the small screen. Particularly impressive is its standing as an excellent historically accurate TV show,...

Mark Rylance is at the top of the casting wishlist for the new HBO “Harry Potter” adaptation, Variety has learned from sources familiar with the project.

Rylance, who is starring as Thomas Cromwell in the highly-anticipated BBC period drama “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light” (based on Hilary Mantel’s novel), is in the mix for Dumbledore, according to inside buzz.

Variety understands that Warner Bros. Television hasn’t yet entered into negotiations with the actor, but the studio has reached out to gauge interest and availability.

Reps for Rylance did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A rep for HBO told Variety: “We appreciate that such a high profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”

While the leads for the show – Harry, Hermione and Ron – will likely be newcomers,...

TV fans have been waiting for almost ten years for Hilary Mantel’s amazing Tudor story to end, and “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light” is coming with great excitement. This last book picks up where the last one left off, delving deeply into the last four rough years of Thomas Cromwell’s life with stunning accuracy and dramatic energy.

The amazing creative team of screenwriter Peter Straughan and director Peter Kosminsky are back together for this series, which builds on the highly acclaimed 2015 adaptation that covered the first two books in Mantel’s trilogy. With Mark Rylance’s return as Thomas Cromwell, whose performance has been praised for its nuanced, almost telepathic understanding of the complicated historical figure, they continue to turn historical stories into television art.

The new show looks like it will be a masterpiece of historical drama, condensing Mantel’s last 900-page book into six carefully made hours.

On Sunday 10 November 2024, BBC One broadcasts Wolf Hall!

The Mirror and the Light Season 2 Episode 1 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Wolf Hall,” titled “The Mirror and the Light,” promises to be a gripping continuation of the historical drama. Set right after the tragic death of Anne Boleyn, the episode will explore the aftermath of this pivotal moment in English history. The scene opens with the grim image of the young queen’s blood washing away from the scaffold, a stark reminder of the dangers that come with power and ambition.

Thomas Cromwell, a central figure in the series, steps into the chaos left behind. He navigates through the wreckage of Anne’s downfall, ready to take on his role as principal councillor to King Henry VIII. Cromwell’s rise from humble beginnings in a blacksmith’s forge to becoming one of the most powerful politicians in England is a remarkable journey.

The much-loved BBC program Wolf Hall is coming back with a new casting method that challenges the way history is usually shown. For the new season, the show’s producers have chosen to use colour-blind casting, a big change in how TV stories are told.

Director Peter Kosminsky stressed that the casting process was based on talent. “We selected the best actors who auditioned for the roles,” he said. As a result of this approach, some big casting changes have happened. For example, Egyptian-born actor Amir El-Masry replaced Jack Lowden as Thomas Wyatt. Sarah Priddy, of mixed British and African descent, played Lady Margery Seymour.

The choice has sparked both support and debate. Critics, such as writer Petronella Wyatt, have called the method “cultural appropriation.” “The world has changed since the first series,” said Colin Callender, the show’s executive producer, to justify the choice. We thought that hiring people...

Wolf Hall returns to British television after nearly a decade this weekend — and director Peter Kosminsky has revealed why the Tudor series has switched to a color-blind casting policy.

The critically lauded Hilary Mantel adaptation has cast Egyptian-born Amir El-Masry as Thomas Wyatt after he was played by Jack Lowden in Season 1, while Lady Margery Seymour is played by Sarah Priddy, who is from a mixed-heritage British-African family.

At a Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light screening, Kosminsky said: “There are a number of parts played by people of color and this is not something we did in the first series. I’m delighted we’ve been able to do it.”

He added: “We wanted the very best actors who are available for the show and we looked at everybody, and we chose the best actors who auditioned for the roles. And obviously, we aren’t playing lookalikes in the series.

“Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light” producer Colin Callender has blamed the influx of U.S. streamers for driving up the cost of drama production in the U.K., saying it has “caused us a real problem.”

“In the 10 years since we made the first show [“Wolf Hall”], the cost of producing drama in the U.K. has gone through the roof,” Callender said after a preview screening of the Hilary Mantel adaptation this week. “It’s increased exponentially. And ironically, in spite of all the talk about the inward investment from America being great for the industry, it’s caused us a real problem, because it’s meant that the streamers in particular are paying significantly more money for talent, locations and so on.”

“And so when you take the combination of inflation, cost of living, the extraordinary increase in rates that talent are being paid, in part because of the streamers,...

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, the long-awaited second season of the PBS historical drama, finally has a premiere date. Returning March 23, 2025, this continuation of Hilary Mantel’s Tudor trilogy picks up where the first season left off, following the final four years of Thomas Cromwell’s life. Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis reprise […]

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light Returns to PBS Next March – Cromwell’s Final Moves...

“This Cultural Life” is set to air on BBC Four at 11:00 Pm on Sunday, November 10, 2024. This episode features Peter Kosminsky, a prominent figure in television drama known for his powerful storytelling. Kosminsky’s background as a current affairs journalist shines through in his work, as he tackles contemporary social and political issues.

Viewers will get a chance to explore Kosminsky’s notable projects, including “Warriors,” which delves into the experiences of British soldiers in Bosnia. The program also highlights “The Government Inspector,” which focuses on the tragic events surrounding the death of Dr. David Kelly. Another significant work, “The State,” examines the radicalization of British Islamists, showcasing Kosminsky’s ability to address complex themes with sensitivity and depth.

Additionally, Kosminsky’s acclaimed adaptations of Hilary Mantel’s “Wolf Hall” trilogy will be discussed, revealing his talent for bringing historical narratives to life. This episode promises to offer insights into...

The CW has pulled The Wranglers from its Monday-night lineup and put the entire eight-episode season on The CW app and Cwtv.com.

The reality series about the lives of young staff members working at the Circle Bar Dude ranch in Montana debuted to 130,000 total viewers on Sept. 23, and averaged 160K over three airings —representing just 35% retention of Superman & Lois‘ audience.

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Over the past 20 years, screenwriter Peter Straughan has become British cinema’s go-to guy for adaptations. That might sound like a back-handed compliment, but his protean talent makes it hard to pinpoint what exactly constitutes a typical project for the UK-based writer: is it Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), his masterly adaptation of John Le Carré’s classic Cold War spy thriller; is it Frank (2014), which stars Michael Fassbender as a struggling indie musician sporting a papier mâché head; or is it Our Brand Is Crisis, a satirical Sandra Bullock comedy based on a deadly serious political documentary?

Straughan is currently sailing into awards season with his take on Robert Harris’ 2016 bestseller Conclave, a darkly witty conspiracy drama starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini. Directed by Edward Berger, following hard on the heels of his award-winning drama All Quiet on the Western Front two years ago, it...

Banijay Entertainment is offering an exclusive early look at its jam-packed Mipcom lineup, featuring plenty of crime dramas, historical epics, popular formats and non-fiction projects from Eva Longoria and Sarah Jessica Parker.

“Our dynamic line-up for this year’s Mipcom truly highlights the continued growth and global appeal of our catalog,” said Banijay Rights CEO Cathy Payne. “From riveting dramas such as ‘Bergerac’ and ‘Wolf Hall’ to high-end factual series like ‘Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain,’ we are eager to present a diverse and competitive slate that celebrates the power of storymaking and the outstanding talent behind our IP.”

Banijay Chief Content Officer, Development James Townley and Chief Content Officer, Operations Lucas Green added: “Our offering of distinctive and fresh formats coming from the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, U.K. and the U.S., underscores our commitment to creating popular IP like ‘Three Are The Champions,’ and evolving classic favorites like ‘By Land,...

Exclusive: Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley mysteries are being given a new lease of life.

More than 15 years on from the closer of the BBC’s mid-noughties adaptation, BritBox International, Wolf Hall producer Playground and Salt Films are developing Lynley, a new version, which is being penned by Sherlock writer Steve Thompson and directed by Ed Bazalgette.

Leo Suter (Vikings: Valhalla) and Sofia Barclay (Ted Lasso) are leading the adaptation, playing Di Thomas Lynley and DS Barbara Havers, an aristocratic police detective and maverick sergeant from a working class background. Together, the mismatched duo become a formidable team, bonded by their desire to see justice done, while the series tackles issues around personality, gender and class.

BBC Studios is deficit financing and selling and Deadline is told deal terms with BritBox are still being figured out. We understand the BBC may acquire in the UK. Cameras will roll on four...

The best BBC shows feature acclaimed series that have gained international popularity and have starred big-name actors. The Capture is a critically acclaimed crime drama that stands out for its riveting story and unique elements. Time is a grounded and thoughtful anthology series that tells a redemption story set in prison.

The best BBC shows are known for their high-quality stories (among other things), but as a British station, U.S. audiences can sometimes overlook those that don't get simultaneously released on American networks like AMC. In 2017, the BBC and ITV combined forces to found BritBox, a streaming service specifically for UK-based shows. Through this, U.S. viewers can access more BBC shows than ever before, but that doesn't mean that all of them have reached the level of popularity as Doctor Who, Sherlock, or Fleabag.

However, dozens of series are just as clever and star-studded as the biggest and best,...

Théoden, King of Rohan, is dead. British film and television actor, Bernard Hill, best known for portraying the ruler of Rohan in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, passed away on Sunday, May 5, 2024 at the age of 79. No details have been provided, but it has been confirmed that he was in the company of his fiancée Alison and his son Gabriel. No official cause of death has been provided.

Bernard Hill had several memorable roles both on film and television, but younger audiences will probably best remember him for his role in The Lord of the Rings, but also for portraying Captain Edward J. Smith in James Cameron’s Titanic, which also earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.

Bernard Hill was born in Manchester in 1944. He attended the Xaverian College, and then Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama at the same time as Richard Griffiths, another...

Bernard Hill, a British actor known for his commanding roles in Titanic and the Lord of the Rings films, has died. He was 79. Hill’s agent confirmed that the actor died early on Sunday morning, according to BBC News. No cause of death has been reported. The Manchester native broke out on the screen in the BBC’s 1982 drama series Boys from the Blackstuff, in which he played the troubled job-seeker Yosser Hughes. More recently, Hill made a memorable turn in the BBC’s 2015 production Wolf Hall, playing the Duke of Norfolk in the historical drama series based on Hilary Mantel’s book about Henry VIII’s court. On the big screen, Hill portrayed Edward J. Smith, the ill-fated captain, in the 1997 Best Picture winner Titanic. Five years later, he starred in another blockbuster, playing Théoden, King of Rohan, in 2002’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, a...

The second season of Wolf Hall has created headlines in the UK for its diverse casting — and the latest to speak out is an ancestor of one of the Tudor drama’s characters.

Journalist Petronella Wyatt has written a column in The Daily Telegraph questioning the “absurd” decision to cast Egyptian-born Amir El-Masry as Yorkshireman Thomas Wyatt.

The character was played by Slow Horses star Jack Lowden in Season 1 of the BBC/PBS Masterpiece drama, which premiered in 2015.

Wyatt praised The Crown star El-Masry’s acting credentials, but said color-blind casting for a story rooted in British history was tantamount to “cultural appropriation.”

She said Thomas Wyatt, a 16th-century English politician credited with inventing the sonnet, had “never been east of Calais” in his lifetime.

Amir El-Masry

“I appreciate that it is the job of actors to act, and I have no theoretical quarrel with his being played by Mr El-Masry,...

Wolf Hall is returning soon to PBS for its second and final season, and the first photos for the period drama have been released. The new season, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, is a follow-up to 2015's initial season.

Based on Hilary Mantel's trilogy of novels, the series follows the life of Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance), a prominent lawyer who rose from humble beginnings. It also stars Damian Lewis, Jonathan Pryce, Kate Phillips, and Lilit Lesser. Season two will follow the last four years of his life.

Read More…...

New images have been released for the upcoming sequel series to Wolf Hall, with returning and new cast members. The new series, based on author Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and the Light, is set to be released later this year. Mark Rylance returns as Thomas Cromwell and Damian Lewis as Henry VIII in this British period drama.

Images for the upcoming sequel series to Wolf Hall have been released, revealing a first look at new and returning cast members nine years after the original miniseries. The show - adapted from Hilary Mantel's novel of the same name - first aired in 2015, chronicling Thomas Cromwell's rise to power in the 1500s. A new series based on the final book in Mantel's trilogy, The Mirror and the Light, will be coming out later this year.

Now, The Hollywood Reporter has released new images of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light,...

The BBC and Masterpiece PBS have revealed a first look at ‘Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light’, based on the final novel in Hilary Mantel’s multi-award-winning trilogy, as filming comes to a close.

The new pictures show Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell, Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII, Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour, Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary, Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, Harriet Walter as Lady Margaret Pole, Harry Melling as Thomas Wriothesley, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Rafe Sadler, Timothy Spall as the Duke of Norfolk, Alex Jennings as Stephen Gardiner and Charlie Rowe as Gregory Cromwell.

Eagerly awaited and years in the making, the series will trace the final four years of Cromwell’s life, completing his journey from a self-made man to the most feared, influential figure of his time. Cromwell is as complex as he is unforgettable: a politician and a fixer, a diplomat and a father,...

Masterpiece PBS and the BBC have released first-look photos from Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, an adaptation of the final novel in Hilary Mantel’s award-winning trilogy.

Mark Rylance is reprising his role as Thomas Cromwell, while Damian Lewis is back as King Henry VIII. Also returning are Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, Kate Phillips as Henry VIII’s third wife Jane Seymour and Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary, the daughter of Henry and his first wife Catherine of Aragon.

The drama also stars Harry Melling as Thomas Wriothesley, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Rafe Sadler, Timothy Spall as the Duke of Norfolk, Alex Jennings as Stephen Gardiner and Charlie Rowe as Gregory Cromwell.

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light will trace the final four years of Cromwell’s life, completing his journey from self-made man to the most feared, influential figure of his time.

Mantel died in 2022 at...

The long-awaited adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s novel “The Mirror and the Light” has wrapped.

In the first images from the production, released by the BBC and Masterpiece PBS, Kate Phillips can be seen reprising her role as King Henry VIII’s third wife Jane Seymour, while Mark Rylance returns as the king’s chief advisor Thomas Cromwell and Damien Lewis as the king himself.

Based on the final novel in Mantel’s award-winning “Wolf Hall” trilogy, which follows the rise and fall of Cromwell, the new images come some 18 months after Mantel’s sudden death at the age of 70.

Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour in ‘Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light’

“Cromwell, a man with only his wits to rely on, has no great family to back him, and no private army,” reads the logline. “Navigating the moral complexities that accompany the exercise of power in this brutal and bloody time,...

David Simon is developing a new series at HBO, Variety has learned exclusively.

Simon is attached to write and executive produce the drama project, currently titled “The System.” Lily Thorne and Larissa MacFarquhar will also write and co-executive produce, with Kiese Laymon also attached to write.

The project is based on a series of New Yorker articles written by MacFarquhar. The official description states that the show “will examine the foster care and child protective service systems from the viewpoint of family court judges and lawyers, as well as social workers, caretakers, mothers, and the children themselves, and will probe the risks and benefits of removing children from families of origin.”

Should the project move forward, it would be Simon’s ninth HBO series. He is perhaps best known for his work on the critically-acclaimed series “The Wire,” which aired for five seasons at the premium cabler. He most recently...

Welcome to Deadline’s London TV Screenings list, our definitive look at next week’s buzzy event taking Soho by storm. If you’re wondering who’s exhibiting, what’s on offer and want to dive deeper into the distribs’ strategy, we’ve done the hard work for you, presenting profiles from nearly 30 exhibiting sales houses. Below, check out profiles for all the London TV Screenings founders, along with the outfits based in the UK. Read on, and find all our London TV Screenings content throughout the week here.

The Founders

ALL3MEDIA International

Key shows

Parenthood – Silverback Films’ natural history series about the extreme lengths parents go to to ensure the survival of their offspring.

The Underdog – Truman Show-style guessing game format that sees social media influencers compete in a popularity contest alongside one person without an online following.

Protection – ITV thriller based on the first-hand experiences of a long serving witness protection officer.

Actors Kate Phillips, Amber Anderson and Rosie Day have joined forces to launch a new female-led, London-based production outfit called Just John Films.

Just John will option, develop and produce projects, both independently and in partnership with third parties. The company’s artist-led viewpoint will give it a unique eye to focus on diverse and compelling stories while ensuring a welcoming and joyful environment to enhance creativity and quality throughout the filmmaking process.

The company has already set its first slate, which includes an adaptation of Annie Garthwaite’s acclaimed historical novel “Cecily,” about royal Tudor matriarch Cecily Neville, and an untitled Sylvia Plath project in collaboration with Silver Salt Films. More projects will be unveiled in due course.

Phillips is an actor and producer who’s appeared in “Hijack,” “Peaky Blinders” and “The Crown” among other titles. She is currently reprising her role as Jane Seymour in the final...

2024 really is the year of the Difficult Second Series: after wowing us in 2023 and even earlier, shows like The Tourist, Extraordinary, The Rig, Suspect and Bad Sisters are on the way back for another helping this year, but the question is: will they live up to series one?

In among this, a trio of behemoth shows coming back: Doctor Who will return for series 14, or season one as it’s being styled, the first with Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa, Wolf Hall is returning after nine years to cover the late Hilary Mantel’s final book in the trilogy, The Mirror and The Light, and dystopian anthology series Black Mirror will return to Netflix for its seventh series. There’s even talk of a prequel series to Red Dwarf, if that comes off.

This is our round-up of the British TV shows we’re most excited to see returning for new...

A few more returns and more than two dozen (!) new bits of casting have been announced for the second/final season of Wolf Hall.

Masterpiece PBS and the BBC previously announced that the six-episode Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, based on the final novel in Hilary Mantel’s award-winning trilogy, will bring back Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Jonathan Pryce, Kate Phillips and Lilit Lesser.

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This Monday morning,...

Wolf Hall is coming back and bringing Harriet Walter, Timothy Spall and Harry Melling along for the ride.

The trio are joining the cast alongside the likes of Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Jonathan Pryce, Kate Phillips and Lilit Lesser in the period drama for the BBC and Masterpiece PBS.

The six-part series is currently filming across the UK.

Succession star Walter will play Lady Margaret Pole, while Mr Turner star Spall is the Duke of Norfolk and Melling (The Queen’s Gambit) plays Thomas Wriothesley.

Mark Rylance will reprise his role as Thomas Cromwell, while Damian Lewis will return as King Henry VIII. Also returning are Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, Kate Phillips as Henry VIII’s third wife Jane Seymour and Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary, the daughter of Henry and his first wife Catherine of Aragon.

Harry Melling (Courtesy)

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light will trace the...

Peacock has released the trailer for Season 2 of “Dr. Death,” starring Edgar Ramírez and Mandy Moore. The series is based on a true story told by the popular Wondery podcast of the same name.

Per the series’ description, Season 2 of “Dr. Death” centers on “’Miracle Man’ Paolo Macchiarini, a charming surgeon renowned for his innovative operations. When investigative journalist Benita Alexander approaches him for a story, the line between personal and professional begins to blur, changing her life forever.”

The description continues, “As she learns how far Paolo will go to protect his secrets, a group of doctors halfway across the world make shocking discoveries of their own that call everything about Paolo into question.”

In addition to Ramírez and Moore, the rest of the cast includes Luke Kirby, Ashley Madekwe and Gustaf Hammarsten.

Ashley Michel Hoban serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer. Patrick Macmanus also serves as executive...

Wolf Hall is returning for a second and final season, per Deadline. The series premiered on BBC and PBS in 2015, with development on season two starting in 2016.

Starring Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Jonathan Pryce, Kate Phillips, and Lilit Lesser, the series is based on the trilogy by Hilary Mantel. The first season revolves around Thomas Cromwell, a lawyer who has risen from humble beginnings.

The second season, aka Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, will be based on the final book of Hilary's trilogy and will portray the last four years of Cromwell’s life.

Read More…...

“Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light,” based on the final novel in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy, will begin filming in the United Kingdom soon, according to Masterpiece, PBS and the BBC. Oscar winner Mark Rylance is back as Thomas Cromwell, joined by Emmy winner Damian Lewis returning as King Henry VII and Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey.

Kate Phillips will also reprise her role as Henry VIII’s third wife, Jane Seymour, and Lilit Lesser is Princess Mary, the daughter of Henry and his first wife Catherine of Aragon.

Per the release, “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light” will follow “the final four years of Cromwell’s life, completing his journey from self-made man to the most feared, influential figure of his time.”

“Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light” is directed by Peter Kominsky, adapted by Peter Straughan and produced by Lisa Osborne. The series...

Masterpiece PBS and the BBC have officially announced the second season of Wolf Hall, titled Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, based the final novel of Hilary Mantel’s award-winning trilogy. Set to begin filming soon, the series will see the return of stars Damian Lewis and Mark Rylance, who reprise their roles as King Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell, respectively. The project reunites the team behind the BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning first series as Peter Kominsky will direct the title adapted for television by Peter Straughan and produced by Playground and Company Pictures. Jonathan Pryce is also set to return as Cardinal Wolsey, Kate Phillips will be back as Henry VIII’s third wife Jane Seymour, and Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary, the daughter of Henry and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. More returning and new cast members will be announced at a later date. (Credit: Courtesy...

PBS is making a return to Wolf Hall.

The public broadcaster will air a sequel to its Emmy-nominated miniseries, with Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis reprising their roles as Thomas Cromwell and English King Henry VIII. The series, based on the final book in author Hilary Mantel‘s trilogy, The Mirror and the Light, is scheduled to begin production soon. It will air under PBS’ Masterpiece banner in the United States and on the BBC in the U.K.

Jonathan Pryce, Kate Phillips and Lilit Lesser will also reprise their roles. The Wolf Hall creative team — writer Peter Straughan, director Peter Kosminsky and producers Playground and Company Pictures — return as well.

“Following the success of the BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning original television adaptation of the first two books in Hilary Mantel’s acclaimed Wolf Hall trilogy, we are thrilled and honored that, nine years later, we have been able reunite...

Masterpiece PBS and the BBC are set to begin production on Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, an adaptation of the final novel in Hilary Mantel’s award-winning trilogy.

Mark Rylance will reprise his role as Thomas Cromwell, while Damian Lewis will return as King Henry VIII. Also returning are Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, Kate Phillips as Henry VIII’s third wife Jane Seymour and Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary, the daughter of Henry and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light will trace the final four years of Cromwell’s life, completing his journey from self-made man to the most feared, influential figure of his time. Further returning and new cast members will be announced at a later date.

Mantel died last year aged 70 and at that point director Peter Kosminsky said The Mirror and the Light would proceed as a...

Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock is set to release her first memoir.

The singer, who performed with the girl group from 2011 to 2022, shared a video to Instagram on Monday (17 April) announcing her autobiography, Believe.

In the clip, Pinnock can be seen sipping a cup of tea and reading from the book, before explaining that the memoir is “so special to me”.

“I hope you guys love is as much as I do,” she said, sharing that Believe will be released on 26 October.

Pinnock captioned the video: “Ever since we won The X Factor back in 2011, I feel like I’ve been in a whirlwind. I’ve had some life-changing moments that up until now, I’ve never really had the chance to process.

“Maya Angelou once said, ‘You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.’ So with this in mind and before...

A former contestant on The Apprentice has claimed that Lord Alan Sugar once “went ballistic” for no reason, before he walked off set for 25 minutes.

The story comes from Mark Wright, who won the 2014 edition of the BBC reality series, and went on to partner with Sugar in a joint business venture.

Speaking on the On a Mission podcast, Wright recalled the alleged incident, which took place while filming one of the “boardroom” showdown scenes.

“One day out of the blue [Sugar] just went ballistic for no reason,” Wright said, per The Mirror. “He just went completely psycho, and he walked out of the boardroom and left everyone in there – the film crew, production, Karen and Nick and all the contestants and left us there for 25 minutes.

“He just did a psycho rant and left the room and then he came back in, and I was like ‘that was magic,’ he...

A former contestant on The Apprentice has claimed that Lord Alan Sugar once “went ballistic” for no reason, before he walked off set for 25 minutes.

The story comes from Mark Wright, who won the 2014 edition of the BBC reality series, and went on to partner with Sugar in a joint business venture.

Speaking on the On a Mission podcast, Wright recalled the alleged incident, which took place while filming one of the “boardroom” showdown scenes.

“One day out of the blue [Sugar] just went ballistic for no reason,” Wright said, per The Mirror. “He just went completely psycho, and he walked out of the boardroom and left everyone in there – the film crew, production, Karen and Nick and all the contestants and left us there for 25 minutes.

“He just did a psycho rant and left the room and then he came back in, and I was like ‘that was magic,’ he...

Andrew Garfield was apparently overheard telling off local residents for “distracting” him while filming in London.

The Amazing Spider-Man star is currently shooting the romcom We Live In Time with Florence Pugh in south-west London.

Garfield was filming a scene outside a block of flats, with local residents who lived in a flat opposite gathering at the window to watch filming taking place.

However, one of the housemates told The Daily Telegraph that Garfield “called ‘cut’ as soon as he saw the group” before asking to talk to them through the window.

Remaining anonymous, the resident told the publication that the group had initially “rushed over to the window, and there’s four of us in the house vying for position in front of one window, pushing each other out of the way – it was a bit silly”.

After Garfield allegedly spotted the group and stopped filming, “he walked over...

The director of the Scientology documentary Going Clear has said he is “surprised” there hasn’t been a “reckoning” for Tom Cruise.

The Top Gun: Maverick star is one of the highest profile members of the Church of Scientology, having joined the controversial religion in the 1980s.

Alex Gibney is a filmmaker known for directing the 2015 film Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.

The film, which was vehemently denounced by the Church of Scientology upon its release, made a number of shocking allegations about the organisation, involving claims of abuse inflicted upon members and misconduct among its leadership. Representatives of the church denied the allegations.

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine in a new interview, Gibney was asked what it was like to see Cruise endure as the “King of Hollywood”.

The interviewer begins by suggesting that Cruise “hasn’t had to answer a single question about [his involvement in Scientology] in the...

Netflix had a huge hit on its hands with Bridgerton, and a prequel spinoff about Queen Charlotte's formative years is in the works. Bridgerton is based on a popular book series by Julia Quinn, so the show already had a built-in fanbase. But the streaming service isn't the first to capitalize on literary adaptations. With centuries of great literature to pull from, the BBC has produced some of TV's best adaptations that have reintroduced classic works to the masses. Even if the piece was somewhat obscure, the classy way with which the BBC brings the stories to life makes them accessible to everyone.

From groundbreaking miniseries like Pride and Prejudice to lesser-known gems like Little Dorrit, adaptations have been the bread and butter of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Though they have produced a host of great series over the years, only the very best scored high marks on IMDb.

The actor discusses his new drama at the London film festival, being starstruck by Meryl Streep – and the best way to take environmental action

On the day that Mark Rylance video-calls from Pittsburgh, where his wife, Claire van Kampen, is directing an opera, the news is dominated by the death of Hilary Mantel. Rylance, now 62, played a furtive, whispering Thomas Cromwell in the BBC adaptation of Mantel’s Wolf Hall in 2015. Prior to that, he was revered for stage roles such as Johnny “Rooster” Byron, the uncouth mystic layabout in Jerusalem, which brought him his third Tony award.

It was Wolf Hall, though, that made him a household name in households that never went to the theatre. He had dabbled in movies before, but now he embraced them: three for Steven Spielberg, Dunkirk, Don’t Look Up, the next Terrence Malick (in which he plays Satan) as well as Luca Guadagnino’s forthcoming cannibal road movie,...

Roger Waters has denied claims that he has cancelled his forthcoming concerts in Poland amid backlash to his comments on Ukraine.

Local news outlets had reported that the Pink Floyd bassist had pulled two gigs in Krakow in April, following outrage over a letter in which he blamed “extreme nationalists” for having “set [Ukraine] on the path to this disastrous war”.

Venue official Lukasz Pytko said that Waters’ manager had “decided to withdraw” the shows “without giving any reason”.

In a statement shared on Facebook on Sunday (25 September), Waters said that “assertions that either, I or my management, has cancelled my forthcoming shows in Krakow” were “wrong”.

“We haven’t,” he wrote, claiming that a Polish town councillor “has threatened to hold a meeting asking the council to declare me ‘Persona non grata’ because of my public efforts to encourage all involved in the disastrous war in Ukraine, especially the governments of the USA and Russia,...

The House of the Dragon showrunner has sad news for fans who want to see Milly Alcock back on the show.

Alcock played the young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in the first five episode of HBO’s prequel spin-off series.

Despite praise for Emma D’Arcy’s performance as the adult version of the character in episode six, which aired on Sunday (26 September), viewers had been lamenting the looming departure of Alcock since her debut.

Considering 10 years passed in the show between episodes five and six, many fans are holding out hope for a flashback later this season, meaning they would be able to see Alcock return as the character.

However, according to Ryan Condal, viewers will most probably not be seeing Alcock in the role for a long time, if ever. Speaking to Variety, he said that season two is completely mapped out, and it won’t feature Alcock or indeed Emily Carey,...

The first trailer for The Crown season five has been released, showing an “all-out war” between King Charles III and Princess Diana.

Netflix’s historical drama will next head to the Nineties in its forthcoming new season, with Dominic West playing the monarch-to-be while Elizabeth Debicki takes over the role of the late Princess of Wales.

At Netflix’s fan event Tudum on Saturday (24 September), viewers were given a first look at footage from the new season, as well as the date that the show would be hitting the streamer this autumn.

The trailer begins with a voiceover of a news reporter reading: “Buckingham Palace is issuing this statement: ‘It is with regret, the Prince and Princess of Wales are separating.”

Close-ups are shown of Charles and Diana’s hands, then faces, as other reports describe “uproar in Britain after Prince Charles bared his soul to the nation, but the...