Home » HBO and BBC to Collaborate for ‘Wolf Hall’ Mini

HBO and BBC to Collaborate for ‘Wolf Hall’ Mini

by Jacob Klein
13 comments 293 views

Try Max Now
hilary-520x374-300x215Two major networks, HBO and the BBC will be joining forces for a miniseries adaptation of Wolf Hall, the award-winning historical novel by British author Hilary Mantel.  Set in the period from 1500 to 1535, Wolf Hall is a fictionalized biography documenting the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex in the court of Henry VIII of England.  Shotime’s popular series, The Tudors focused on the same time period but this new series is said to delve more into the drama around Henry’s court rather than the life of the many-wived King himself.

Author Mantel is in the process of penning two more books in the series, the second will focus on HVIII’s second wife,  Anne Boleyn and the third is expected to cover Mr. Cromwell’s eventual (spoiler alert!) downfall.   No word yet on possible actors, directors or writers for the new HBO miniseries.  The project is in it’s infancy as of today and we wouldn’t expect a premiere date to be earlier than winter of 2012.  We’ll bring you more details as we get them!  In the mean-time feel free to comment with your thoughts on casting the King, Cromwell and Anne Bolyen!  Would you be opposed to some of The Tudors actors getting a second swing at the roles?

If you’d like to start reading the novel beofre the series hits the air you can pick it up at any major bookstore or head over to Amazon to be ahead of the rest of us.

Try Max Now

Related Posts

13 comments

Big Bobby Clobber April 1, 2013 - 11:35 am

Grammar alert! – “…The project is in it’s infancy as of today….”

Would Hilary Mantel approve of such punctuation? (As well as the overuse of apostrophes in the comments section here – Americans are simply MAD about their apostrophes!)

Reply
Frances Ellis March 27, 2013 - 6:45 am

Nearly finished ‘Wolf Hall’ and have ‘Bring Up the Bodies’ waiting. I tend to agree with Brendoan Coyle as Cromwell. He has that worldly thuggish look about him. For Henry V111, someone more convincing than in ‘The Tudors’ and please be true to the books.

Reply
Lizanne Whitlow October 19, 2012 - 3:31 pm

The Tudor actors were great. Definitely add Tom Hardy, Eddie Redmayne, Ray Winstone, Daniel C, Mark Strong, Emily Blunt, Benedict, Juno Temple, and the beautiful young woman who plays Lucretzia. Go for broke!

Reply
Downtonian August 16, 2012 - 10:22 pm

Cumberbatch would be a good Call-Me-Risley. I like the idea of Brendan Coyle.

Reply
Anne August 15, 2012 - 2:57 pm

This is a trilogy, book one was wonderful, but book two was better! Translating cromwells strategy and his thought process so brilliantly laid out in the books will be a challenge for the screen writers but it will be essential.

Reply
Andrea July 16, 2012 - 9:47 am

I just finished reading Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies. I think they were well researched and I loved reading them.
I watched the series, “The Tudors” and while I enjoyed that series, was unhappy with the liberties they took with the history.
I would not like to see any of those actors in the this mini-series. I also hope that the mini-series stays true to the books.

Reply
Jacob Klein July 16, 2012 - 9:51 am

I have this downloaed to my Kindle and will read before the series begins.

I actually loved the Tudors but yeah, if they took a more “John Adams” (not sure if youve seen that HBO mini) approach I wouldn’t mind at all. A Tudors clone wouldn’t really do it for me as it’s been done and redone several times.

But if they do this the way they did John Adams I think it would rock.

Also since I’m going to read the book soon Andrea.. you say its worth reading? Is Bring up the Bodies the 2nd book or something? Im worried it might be boring just from Cromwells POV.. is that an issue at all? Thanks!

Reply
Andrea July 16, 2012 - 10:04 am

Yes, Bring up the Bodies is the second book of what I believe is a trilogy. Both were interesting and Hilary Mantel is a very good writer.

Reply
Drue April 17, 2012 - 2:45 am

I think Brendan Coyle is the most suitable for Cromwell. Benedict Cumberbatch overly young.

Reply
rona April 16, 2012 - 10:03 pm

Brendan Coyle for Cromwell – pretty please. In the novel (and surviving portraiture) Cromwell is anything but beautiful looking. His enormous charisma and draw comes from his pragmatic humanism, wicked sense of humor and bulldog tenacity. I can’t think of anyone who could portray that better than Coyle. His work in Downton Abbey and North & South would translate beautifully into an onscreen Thomas Cromwell.

Reply
Charles December 6, 2011 - 8:38 am

Tom Hardy for HenryV111! The king reaches the age of 43 by the end of the book (which is superb, by th way) and is described as having definitely fillled out. Hardy is such a versatile (and suitably enigmatic) actor with such natural magnetism that he’d be perfect for the role of a king who projects authority.

As for Cromwell himself, from Mantel’s portrayal (and the actual Hans Holbein portrait) he’s meant to be rugged, even thuggish looking, but at the same time clearly in possession of a brillliant, mercurial mind. he is also in his 40’s for most of the book/ story. Benedict Cumberbatch is therefore probably too young and pretty for the role. How about Daniel Craig? Maybe they’d never get him, although having said that this is the starring role.

Anne Boleyn is a marvellous character in the book. She is so manipulative and nasty, with tons of feminine guile. I’d like to see Emily Blunt in the role.

Miryam Margoles for Queen Katherine!

Jim Broadbent for Cardinal Wolsey!

That’s my dream casting. Of course, it will never happen……

Reply
A fan November 19, 2011 - 2:30 am

I’d love Benedict Cumberbatch to play Cromwell. I’m a descendant of Thomas Cromwell so excited to see this is in development. Its a superb book.

Reply
Lili November 18, 2011 - 10:56 am

can’t wait!!!

Reply

Leave a Comment


Adblock Detected

Please support us by disabling your Ad Blocker extension from your browsers for our website.