– A Masterpiece Through and Through –
by Lade Omotade | Collider | October 23, 2024
At long last, fans of the Emmy-nominated Wolf Hall can hold on to their hopes for a little while longer as the British series is bound to return soon. The last time U.S. viewers saw Wolf Hall was in May 2015, while a second installment was announced to be in pre-production in 2022 with writer Peter Straughan returning. About two years later, Straughan is sharing a promising update for Wolf Hall Season 2, nearly a decade after the show’s debut on the BBC, but unfortunately without revealing a premiere date.
While discussing his latest adaptation, Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini, Straughan teased the upcoming season of Wolf Hall to Deadline, saying:
“I can’t tell you when it’s coming out, partly because I’ve been told not to, and partly because I can’t actually remember! But it is coming out fairly soon. Peter’s done a fantastic job. It was a long time coming. Hilary took a while to write it, and then I took a long time to adapt it. But I love it. It’s the kind of thing that’s increasingly difficult to get made in this day and age, and maybe only the BBC would make it.”
Wolf Hall is an adaptation of two of Hilary Mantel’s historical novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. It was first aired on BBC Two in January 2015 before debuting in the U.S. on PBS in April of the same year, with the sixth and last episode broadcasting in May. When Season 2 went into pre-production, Straughan wasn’t the only one set to return, but also star Mark Rylance and director Peter Kosminsky, who helmed the first chapter. This new season will highlight the final novel in the trilogy of Mantel, who passed away in 2022.
Despite debuting nearly ten years ago, Wolf Hall remains one of the best period dramas for fans and critics alike. The series holds a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising it for the accurate adaptation of Mantel’s works, stating, “Beautifully filmed and brilliantly acted, Wolf Hall masterfully brings Hilary Mantel’s award-winning novels to life.” In addition, Wolf Hall earned eight nominations at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards and three at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards, where it won Best Miniseries or Television Film.
The acclaimed series features a stellar principal cast led by Rylance as Thomas Cromwell. Others include Damian Lewis as Henry VIII, Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn, Bernard Hill as the Duke of Norfolk, Anton Lesser as Thomas More, Mark Gatiss as Stephen Gardiner, Mathieu Amalric as Eustache Chapuys and Joanne Whalley as Katherine of Aragon.
The release date for Wolf Hall Season 2 is yet to be announced. In the meantime, catch up on Season 1 on PBS.
Read the rest of the original article at Collider