Benedict Cumberbatch is once again in his element after being cast as Richard III in the upcoming series, The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (we can definitely see the logic). On Wednesday, we got our first look at the thespian atop his horse playing the famous English King.
The series comes in the heels of the BAFTA winning The Hollow Crown , which starred Jeremy Irons, Ben Whinshaw, and Tom Hiddleston. It will be the conclusion to Shakespeare’s history tragedies with adaptations of Henry VI (in two parts) and Richard III.
If the first cast was impressive, this is its equal. Benedict Cumberbatch is joined by some of the biggest names in British stage, television, and big screen including Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Keeley Hawes, and Tom Sturridge. On Wednesday additional casting was announced, which includes Michael Gambon, Philip Glenister, Jason Watkins, Samuel West, Stanley Townsend, and Adrian Dunbar.
Quite impressive indeed. The star power in The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses is unparallelled and viewers are the ones who will benefit when the series comes to the BBC in the U.K. and returns to PBS in the U.S. in 2016.
Cumberbatch is one of the hottest stars in the world at the moment, and we mean that literally and figuratively. He is adored by legions of fans all over the world (the Cumberb***hes) and sought after by big Hollywood studios. Benedict has everything a true star needs, a cool name, good looks, an interesting personality, and more importantly, talent.
In recent years, following the success of the British series Sherlock , Cumberbatch’s career has taken off like a rocket. In 2013 we saw him in no less than seven films, including the Oscar winner for Best Picture Twelve Years A Slave and nominee August: Osage County , and he also made his first clear appearance in motion capture, playing the dragon in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug .
Benedict Cumberbatch has shown that he can play a wide range of characters and do it very well, earning him critical acclaim. He is currently ready to debut his latest one, The Imitation Game , which is already being talked about as a strong Oscar contender.
For The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses , Benedict Cumberbatch plays one of most famous Kings, Richard III, whose defeat in the Wars of the Roses , effectively ended the Middle Ages in England. Ironically, Richard III has been in the news of late after it was discovered that his body had been buried in what is now a parking garage in Leicester following a 2012 archaeological excavation . There is currently a legal battle as to where his remains will be finally laid to rest.
[Image via Shutterstock]
