Starz Grabs U.S. Rights to Amadeus Limited Series With Will Sharpe, Paul Bettany
Starz is adding another period drama to its lineup, snagging U.S. rights to a limited series adaptation of Amadeus. The five-part series stars Will Sharpe (The White Lotus) as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Paul Bettany (Wandavision, A Very British Scandal) as his fellow composer and rival Antonio Salieri, and Gabrielle Creevy (Three Women) as Mozart’s wife,…
Starz is adding another period drama to its lineup, snagging U.S. rights to a limited series adaptation of Amadeus.
The five-part series stars Will Sharpe (The White Lotus) as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Paul Bettany (Wandavision, A Very British Scandal) as his fellow composer and rival Antonio Salieri, and Gabrielle Creevy (Three Women) as Mozart’s wife, Constanze Weber. The show, which debuted in December on Sky in the U.K., will come to Starz later this year.
“Amadeus is a perfect fit for our original series lineup — a bold, character-driven reimagining of one of history’s most intoxicating rivalries,” saidStarz Networks president Alison Hoffman.“With Will Sharpe, Paul Bettany and Gabrielle Creevy leading an extraordinary ensemble, the series captures the passion, envy, and genius at the heart of Mozart’s world. Audiences continue to be drawn to Starz because of the power of our premium period dramas, and ‘Amadeus’ delivers that in spectacular form.”
Joe Barton (Black Doves, Giri/Haji) adapted Peter Shaffer’s 1979 play (which was previously adapted into an Oscar-dominating 1984 film). The series follows Mozart as he arrives in 18th century Vienna in search of creative freedom, where he meets his future wife Constanze and crosses paths with Salieri, who turns a professional rivalry into a personal obsession.
The cast also includes Rory Kinnear,Lucy Cohu,Jonathan Aris,Ényì Okoronkwo,Jessica Alexander,Hugh Sachs,Paul Bazely,Rupert Vansittart,Anastasia Martin,Nancy Farino,Olivia-Mai Barrett,Viola Prettejohn andJyuddah Jaymes.
Amadeus joins a lineup of period dramas at Starz that also includes the Outlander franchise, Mary & George, The White Queen and The Spanish Princess, among others.
Two Cities Television (part of STV Studios) produces Amadeus in association with Sky Studios. Barton executive produces with John Griffin, Megan Spanjian for Sky, Michael Jackson and Stephen Wright for Two Cities Television, Sharpe, Bettany and Julian Farino. Alice Seabright is a co-EP; she and Farino also directed. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handled international sales of the series on behalf of Sky.
