The first episode of a Tudor drama part-filmed at Cardiff Castle is out now. The Becoming Elizabeth shoot saw the castle transformed into a film set for a hanging scene.
The series stars German actress Alicia von Rittberg as a teenage Elizabeth 1, alongside Romola Garai, Jessica Raine and Tom Cullen. In the UK, the first episode was released at 12am Sunday on the Starzplay service. The next instalments of the eight-parter will stream weekly. In the US the drama premieres at 9pm Sunday on Starz.
Described by IndieWire as "Succession for royals", Becoming Elizabeth's film crews parked trucks in and around Cardiff Castle in March 2021, while several horses were spotted in the grounds. One scene involved two characters being hanged from one of the castle walls.
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Filming also took place at Bristol Cathedral; Wells Cathedral; the Bishop's Palace and Gardens in Wells; Barrington Court in Somerset; Berkeley Castle and a church in Gloucestershire; Broughton Castle in Banbury; and Haddon Hall in Derbyshire. Pictures from the Wells shoot showed scenes involving heads mounted on spikes.
Starz chief executive Jeffrey Hirsch said: “The world of Becoming Elizabeth is visceral and dangerous – judgements are rendered quickly and no one is safe. This series explores the Tudor reign and young Elizabeth, who would become England’s ‘Gloriana’ and one of history’s most dynamic figures, through a new lens which we think viewers will find highly engaging.”
