The BBC’s The Hollow Crown was a great take on Shakespeare’s Henriad tateralogy, giving us new versions of Richard II, Henry IV, Part I, Henry IV, Part II and Henry V. Now it’s returning with The Hollow Crown: The War of the Roses, which gives us Henry VI Parts 1 & 2, along with Richard III.
The first picture has now arrived featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard III (before he’s offering a kingdom for his horse).
The great cast also includes Judi Dench, Sophie Okonedo, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Keeley Hawes, Tom Sturridge, Michael Gambon as Mortimer, Philip Glenister, Andrew Scott, Samuel West, Ben Daniels, Ben Miles, Sam Troughton and James Fleet.
Executive producer Sam Mendes comments, “After the critical and popular success of the first part of The Hollow Crown – and seven years after we very first suggested the idea to the BBC – I am delighted to announce the start of principal photography on the second half of this magnificent epic story. Yet again we have assembled an amazing cast – led by Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Hugh Bonneville, and Sophie Okonedo, amongst many others – under the direction of the hugely talented Dominic Cooke. I’m very excited indeed to see them all bring the rest of this astonishing story to life.”
The War Of The Roses should hit our screens in 2015.