Wolf Hall: BBC announces return of hit historical drama - nine years after it was last on air

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Acclaimed BBC Historical drama Wolf Hall is set to make a return to screens, nine years after it was last aired.

The series, starring Oscar winner Sir Mark Rylance and Homeland star Damian Lewis, was released in 2015 and was an adaptation of the renowned historical fiction novels ‘Wolf Hall’ and ‘Bring Up The Bodies’ by Dame Hillary Mantel. It follows the story of the rapid rise of Thomas Cromwell in the court of King Henry VIII.

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Both Rylance and Lewis are set to reprise their roles as Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII respective, with Jonathan Pryce, Timothy Spall and Harriet Walter also set to star. The first series of the show bagged multiple BAFTAs, with fans clamouring for more Tudor-era drama.

Sir Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII in Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light.Sir Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII in Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light.
Sir Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII in Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light. | BBC/Playground Entertainment/Nick Briggs

There isn’t much time to wait now, with the second series, titled ‘Wolf Half: the Mirror and the Light’, set to hit BBC 1 and BBC iPlayer on Sunday, November 10. The six-part series will be based on the third novel of the same name in Dame Hillary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy.

Director Peter Kosminsky spoke about what to expect in the new series, saying: “The Mirror and the Light picks up exactly where Wolf Hall ended, with the execution of Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn. I’m overjoyed to be able to reunite the extraordinary cast we were lucky enough to assemble for Wolf Hall led by the brilliant Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis, with the original creative team of Gavin Finney (DOP), Pat Campbell (Designer) and Joanna Eatwell (Costume Designer).

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"We are all determined to complete what we started – and to honour the final novel written by one of the greatest literary figures of our age, Hilary Mantel.”

Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer, says: “A stunning and unforgettable adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s sublime novels, Wolf Hall quickly established itself as one of the all-time great television dramas, with millions of adoring viewers across the U.K. and around the World. Almost a decade on we’re delighted to have reunited this exceptional creative team and lead cast to conclude Mantel’s thrilling saga on the BBC.”

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