'The Hollow Crown: The War of the Roses' Starring Benedict Cumberbatch And Hugh Bonneville Has Begun Principle Photography

Principal photography has begun on ‘The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses’ on multiple locations around the UK.

After the outstanding critical and audience reaction to the BAFTA Award-winning, ‘The Hollow Crown’ series in 2012, Neal Street Productions and Carnival Films/NBC Universal bring the concluding part of the Shakespeare’s History plays to screen in three filmed adaptions – ‘Henry VI’ (split into two parts) and Richard III.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Sophie Okonedo, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Keeley Hawes and Tom Sturridge were recently announced as starring in the new series and new names revealed today include Michael Gambon as Mortimer, Philip Glenister as Talbot, Andrew Scott as King Louis, Jason Watkins as Suffolk, Samuel West as the Bishop of Winchester, Stanley Townsend as Warwick, Adrian Dunbar as Plantagenet, Geoffrey Streatfeild as Edward IV, Ben Daniels as Buckingham, Ben Miles as Somerset, Sam Troughton as George, Stuart McQuarrie as Vernon, Anton Lesser as Exeter, Kyle Soller as Clifford, Phoebe Fox as Anne, James Fleet as Hastings and Lucy Robinson as Young Cecily.

Sam Mendes, executive producer for Neal Street Productions, said: “After the critical and popular success of the first part of The Hollow Crown - and seven years after we very first suggested the idea to the BBC - I am delighted to announce the start of principal photography on the second half of this magnificent epic story. Yet again we have assembled an amazing cast - led by Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Hugh Bonneville, and Sophie Okenedo, amongst many others - under the direction of the hugely talented Dominic Cooke. I'm very excited indeed to see them all bring the rest of this astonishing story to life.”

The following cast are added to the new episodes:

Henry VI part 1

Sophie Okonedo (Queen Margaret), Hugh Bonneville (Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester), Sally Hawkins (Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester), Tom Sturridge (Henry VI), Adrian Dunbar (Plantagenet), Stuart McQuarrie (Vernon), Lucy Robinson (Young Cecily), Samuel West (the Bishop of Winchester), Stanley Townsend (Warwick), Michael Gambon (Mortimer), Anton Lesser (Exeter), Ben Miles (Somerset), Jason Watkins (Suffolk) and Philip Glenister (Talbot).

Henry VI part 2

Benedict Cumberbatch (Richard III), Sophie Okonedo (Queen Margaret), Keeley Hawes (Queen Elizabeth), Tom Sturridge (Henry VI), Adrian Dunbar (Plantagenet), Geoffrey Streatfeild (Edward IV), Sam Troughton (George), Stuart McQuarrie (Vernon), Kyle Soller (Clifford), Lucy Robinson (Young Cecily), Stanley Townsend (Warwick), Anton Lesser (Exeter), Ben Daniels (Buckingham), Ben Miles (Somerset), Jason Watkins (Suffolk), Phoebe Fox (Anne), James Fleet (Hastings) and Andrew Scott (King Louis).

Richard III

Judi Dench (Cecily, Duchess of York), Benedict Cumberbatch (Richard III), Sophie Okonedo (Queen Margaret), Keeley Hawes (Queen Elizabeth), Geoffrey Streatfeild (Edward IV), Sam Troughton (George), Ben Daniels (Buckingham), James Fleet (Hastings) and Phoebe Fox (Anne).

The films will be shown in the UK on BBC Two and in the US on PBS. The airdates and airtimes are to be released in due course.

Watch the trailer below for 'The Hollow Crown' (2012):