Oscar-winner William Hurt is to join ITV’s epic dark ages drama Beowulf.
Hurt, who won an Oscar in 1985 for The Kiss of the Spider, will play the warrior king Hrothgar who raised Beowulf.
The 13-part series, described as a western set in the dark ages of Britain’s mythic past, will also star Wolf Hall actor Joanne Whalley and Kieran Bew, who has appeared in shows including Da Vinci’s Demons, takes the lead role of Beowulf.
Writer and executive producer James Dormer, who has credits that include Sky’s Strike Back, said it was an exciting opportunity to re-invent the epic poem for television.
“Hundreds of years ago, our ancestors listened to the story of Beowulf because it was a great adventure story – it scared them, thrilled them, made them laugh and cry,” he said. “But they also listened because they recognised themselves and their fears in it. By holding a mirror up to them, this story helped define them and thus, us. So it’s incredibly exciting to have the opportunity to make it relevant again for a wide audience – to let them own it again. To let them see themselves in it.”
Filming of the show, which takes place in Durham and Northumberland, starts this month.
ITV is also making a 10-part action adventure series, Jekyll and Hyde, written by the actor and comedian Charlie Higson. Set in 1930s London, the protagonist will be the grandson of the original doctor from Robert Louis Stevenson’s 19th-century tale.
