– Luck Within Tudor Court
Begins to Run Out –
by Makuochi Echebiri | Collider | January 31, 2025
The wait is almost over for the second and final installment of the hit Golden Globe-winning historical drama, Wolf Hall. After first airing to great acclaim in May 2015, fans have had to wait ten years to experience the concluding chapter, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. As we count down the weeks to the premiere in about two months, Masterpiece PBS has unveiled a brand new trailer for the season that will depict the unfortunate fate of the ruthless schemer, Thomas Cromwell as his luck within the Tudor court begins to run out.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light will adapt the final book in the late Hilary Mantel’s series of Thomas Cromwell books, The Mirror & The Light published in 2022. The first two books in the trilogy, Wolf Hall (2009) and Bring Up The Bodies (2012) served as source material for the debut series. Mantel’s books recount the story of one of history’s most fascinating figures who served as a key political figure in Tudor England as a confidante to King Henry VIII. The books are adapted for television by Academy Award nominee Peter Straughan and directed by BAFTA winner Peter Kosminsky. Straughan is in the running to scoop his first Oscar award as he recently earned a nomination for his work on the religious political thriller, Conclave (2024).
Teased by the Guardian as “six hours of utter TV magic,” The Mirror and the Light will chronicle the start of Cromwell’s debacle, beginning with the aftermath of the King’s execution of his second wife, Anne Boleyn, which means no one is safe from his cruel and capricious gaze. As the King weds his third wife, Jane Seymour, Cromwell resumes his politicking and power climbs, but it isn’t long until he begins to fall out of favor with the King. The opening episode ‘Wreckage’ will see Cromwell in a compromising position as he “makes a risky play to save Princess Mary from her father’s murderous streak.”
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light sees Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis return to reprise their roles as Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII respectively. The series will also feature the return of Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour, Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Rafe Sadler, Joss Porter as Richard Cromwell, James Larkin as Master Treasurer Fitzwilliam, Richard Dillane as the Duke of Suffolk, Will Keen as Archbishop Cranmer, and Hannah Steele as Mary Shelton. The new chapter will introduce new characters to the mix to be played by Harriet Walter, Timothy Spall, Alex Jennings, and Stephen Gardiner.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light will premiere its first episode on Sunday, March 23, with the next 5 hourlong episodes airing weekly on Sundays through April 27, 2025, at 9/8c on PBS. Check out the new trailer above.
Read the rest of the original article at Collider