When Helen Mirren comes to you and says she wants to play a historical figure, you don’t say no. You shouldn’t say no to Helen Mirren in general, but specially when it comes to portraying historical monarchs. She won an Oscar for her Queen Elizabeth II (The Queen). She won a Golden Globe and Emmy for her Queen Elizabeth I (Elizabeth I). You can go back to the 90’s too, when she was nominated for another Oscar and a BAFTA for her Queen Charolette (The Madness of King George). If you’re looking for gold, you cast Mirren in these roles. Which seems to be partially what HBO is banking on, for their new limited series, Catherine The Great. You can see Mirren in all her regal glory, in this new trailer, that dropped earlier.
Beyond of the presence of a commanding lead, Catherine The Great appears to be a sweeping epic. Charting the rise and reign of Catherine, that helped shape Russia into a powerhouse, . This is the kind of program HBO can do in their sleep. That’s a glowing compliment. A short and focused series, with lush cinematography, ripped from history is their bread and butter. Just look at what they did recently with Chernobyl. Mirren is flanked by an impressive cast including Jason Clarke, Rory Kinnear, Gina McKee and Richard Roxburgh. In addition, the writer responsible for Elizabeth I, Nigel Williams, has penned the script. It’s basically stacking talent on top of talent, on top of talent.
What did you think of the trailer? Are you ready for another potential hit from HBO? Will you sign up to watch Helen Mirren in anything? Who is your favorite historical ruler? Make sure to let us know your thoughts in the space below. The 4-part series doesn’t have a release date yet, though the word is a fall premiere. HBO will probably position it to be eligible for a number of 2020 awards. Once we have a confirmation on when Catherine The Great is being put out, we’ll update you. Meanwhile, expect Mirren to show up for a moment or two in next months Hobbs & Shaw. You can’t skip over including the mother of two characters, in a series that preaches the importance of “family”.
