ARTHUR HUGHES, ANTHONY BOYLE, AND SEAN BEAN STAR IN NEW TRAILER FOR THRILLING DISNEY+ TUDOR MURDER MYSTERY SERIES “SHARDLAKE”

LONDON, UK (February 8, 2024) ) – Disney+ has today released the official trailer for thrilling new murder mystery series, “Shardlake,” based on the internationally popular Tudor murder mystery novels by C.J. Sansom.

Arthur Hughes (“Then Barbara Met Alan'') plays Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer with an acute sense of justice and one of the few honest men in a world beset with scheming and plots. Shardlake works for Thomas Cromwell, played by Sean Bean (“Time”) the dangerous and all-powerful right-hand man to Henry VIII. Despite Shardlake’s unwavering loyalty to Cromwell and the Crown, his position in society is unfavoured due to his appearance, as a person living with scoliosis during the Tudor period, suffering the indignity of being abused as a “crookback” wherever he turns. Anthony Boyle (“Masters of the Air”) plays the cocky and good-looking Jack Barak, who leaves Shardlake unsure of whether he is an assistant, or Cromwell’s spy.

Drenched in mystery, suspense and deception, this four-part drama, based on the first novel in Sansom’s series, is an eerie whodunnit adventure, set in 16th century England during the dissolution of the monasteries. Shardlake’s sheltered life as a lawyer is turned upside down when Cromwell instructs him to investigate the murder of one of his commissioners at a monastery in the remote town of Scarnsea. The commissioner was gathering evidence to close the monastery and it is now imperative for Cromwell’s own political survival that Shardlake both solves the murder and closes the monastery. He leaves Shardlake in no doubt that failure is not an option. Cromwell insists that he is accompanied by Jack Barak to Scarnsea, where the duo are met with hostility, suspicion and paranoia by the monks who fear for their future and will seemingly stop at nothing to preserve their order.

The series also stars Babou Ceesay as Abbot Fabian, Paul Kaye as Brother Jerome, Ruby Ashbourne Serkis as Alice, Peter Firth as Norfolk, Matthew Steer as Goodhap, Brian Vernel as Brother Mortimus, Irfan Shamji as Brother Guy, David Pearse as Brother Edwig, Miles Barrow as Brother Gabriel, Mike Noble as Bugge and Kimberley Nixon as Joan.

“Shardlake” is written by Stephen Butchard (“The Good Mothers”). The series is executive produced by George Ormond and Mark Pybus for The Forge (a Banijay UK company) and Stevie Lee for Runaway Fridge. The series was commissioned by Lee Mason for Disney+, with Jonny Richards serving as executive producer for Disney+. Justin Chadwick (“The Other Boleyn Girl”) has directed the series with John Griffin as producer.

Disney+ is available from £4.99 per month – with no hidden costs and the ability to cancel anytime. There’s something for everyone to watch, adding new TV series, blockbuster movies and exclusive Originals throughout the year under its six brands: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and Star. With a library of entertainment spanning everything from documentaries to critically acclaimed drama, and comedy to classic animation. Customers can enjoy anything from, the latest season of FX’s “The Bear”, “Cristóbal Balenciaga” and “The Artful Dodger”.

“Shardlake” is coming soon to Disney+.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Shardlake acknowledges the support from the Hungarian Film Incentive and FISAplus (Film Industry Support Austria) and was supported by the National Film Institute Hungary and FILM in AUSTRIA – The National Film Commission.

About Disney+

Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and much more. In select international markets, it also includes the new general entertainment content brand, Star. The flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, Disney+ is part of the Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution segment. The service offers commercial-free streaming alongside an ever-growing collection of exclusive originals, including feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series, and short-form content. With unprecedented access to Disney’s long history of incredible film and television entertainment, Disney+ is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. And through Star, it offers the latest from 20th Century Studios, Disney Television Studios, FX, Searchlight Pictures, and more. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.

About The Forge

The Forge is a UK based drama production company with an unrivalled reputation for high quality, ambitious and influential TV drama, working in collaboration with the UK’s leading and emerging creative talent. The Forge became part of Banijay UK in November 2023. The company has produced a wide range of award-winning dramas including Jack Thorne’s ‘National Treasure’ starring Robbie Coltrane and Julie Walters, ’Help’ starring Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham, David Hare’s ‘Collateral’ and ‘Roadkill’, starring Carey Mulligan and Hugh Laurie respectively and Anya Reiss’s ‘Becoming Elizabeth’ for Starz in the US. Most recently, The Forge produced major 8-part series ‘The Buccaneers’ for Apple TV+, which launched globally in 2023. Created and written by Katherine Jakeways, the acclaimed series starred Kristine Frøseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag, Imogen Waterhouse, Mia Threapleton and Emmy Award winner Christina Hendricks. The Forge currently has multiple, high profile new titles for both linear and SVOD platforms in production, including season 2 of ‘The Buccaneers’ for Apple TV+; a youth-skewing drama series for BBC Three and ‘Generation Z’, a six-part series and the first original TV project from Ben Wheatley for Channel 4.

About Runaway Fridge

RUNAWAY FRIDGE PRODUCTIONS’ previous credits include THE REASON I JUMP (2020 : D: Jerry Rothwell. Sundance Audience Award 2021, BIFA Best Documentary 2021, Grierson Best Single Documentary 2022), FRANK (2015 : D: Lenny Abrahamson T: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson) and THE DOG THROWER (2016 : D: Jon Ronson T: Matthew Perry, Tim Key).

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