It’s time… to get in the mood for Wolf Hall!

It’s official! Wolf Hall is coming to BBC2 on January 21 and to PBS Masterpiece Theater on April 5.

wolfhallepisode2-4
source: farfarawaysite.com

I just cannot wait.

As a huge Damian Lewis fan, I am, of course, looking forward to seeing all his upcoming projects… But Wolf Hall is very special for me. Tell me, what are the odds that your most favorite actor plays your most favorite historical monster in a mini-series that is based on your most favorite book?

wolfhall

I know 🙂

I always assign actors to characters when I read books to create some familiarity, and I really had Damian Lewis as Henry VIII in my mind and bragged about it to my friends since I bragged about Wolf Hall for months! It’s so funny that after BBC made the official announcement that Damian Lewis would play Henry VIII, a friend of mine told me that she seriously believed I had some superpowers over the casting decisions. Hilarious — I’m the next Nina Gold 🙂

Wolf Hall is special also because it brings together a number of brilliant minds!

Hilary Mantel is an amazing writer that brings this special sense of humor to historical drama that I am in love with.

Peter Kosminsky is a brilliant director with deep love for politics and Wolf Hall, being dark and political, is completely his turf!

Mark Rylance is arguably the best English stage actor of his generation — I had the privilege to see him as Richard III on Broadway last year and was simply blown away.

Damian Lewis is well… Damian Lewis. I mean, can you imagine the electric he and Rylance will create together in Wolf Hall? Oh, I know it will be stunning! No, I haven’t seen anything but the trailer… But I just know it!

henrycromwell
source: radiotimes.com

So, why don’t we just get in the mood for Wolf Hall these few weeks?

Let’s start with the trailer! The trailer is just 60 seconds, but you can already feel THAT electric I have been talking about in that little glimpse of Henry VIII and Cromwell together and the King saying: “Everything you are, everything you have, will come from me.”

I just keep my fingers crossed that the scene in which Henry screaming his lungs out “Am I not a man like other men? Am I not? Am I not?” to Eustache Chapuys, Imperial Ambassador, has made it into those 6 hours of TV. It can be an instant classic! Honestly, there is a couple of scenes from the books that I really want to see in the series… but I am well aware that it is quite challenging to turn two big volumes into a 6-hour mini-series. Oh, well…

And, the music… The music always adds a certain layer to a TV drama and sets the mood for me. Debbie Wiseman, who has over 200 credits in TV and film, composed the score for Wolf Hall. Wiseman says: “It’s a huge privilege to have been asked to create the score for the drama adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s stunning novels. My aim was to create a musical world inspired by the vitality and elegance of the novels, and the vivid screenplay by Peter Straughan. Peter Kosminsky’s powerful visual adaptation and Mark Rylance’s mesmerising performance as Thomas Cromwell have been a huge inspiration throughout the composing process.”

Here is Debbie Wiseman conducting “Cromwell’s Theme” on Andrew Marr show. Enjoy the music and get in the mood already!

Don’t forget to buy the soundtrack when it is out!

wolfhallsoundtrack
source: amazon.co.uk

The CD is currently available for pre-order on amazon.co.uk and will be released on March 9, 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author: Damianista

Academic, Traveler, Blogger, Runner, Theatre Lover, Wine Snob, Part-time New Yorker, and Walking Damian Lewis Encyclopedia :D Procrastinated about a fan's diary on Damian Lewis for a while and the rest is history!

7 thoughts on “It’s time… to get in the mood for Wolf Hall!”

  1. The series begins after Henry suffered a fall from his horse ? or this have already happened ? I read that the reason that he is a tyrant, is a serious accident he had .

    1. Hi Samy, Thanks for the question! Well, the series begins well before the accident, and we will see the accident in the series. Yes, apparently, Henry became more and more of a tyrant in the last 10 years of his life.

      1. Thanks a lot for answering ,
        I am more excited to see it.

        Do you Know where can I see the serie online? Cause I do not have the bbc channel.

        1. Oh, I think it will be stunning! I am sooo excited, too!! Where are you geographically? The series will come to PBS in the US on April 5.

  2. I do not have that channel (PBS), so I searched on the internet and I found a website where probably they could upload the episodes. Thanks anyway.

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