Disney Plus has just unveiled the first trailer for its upcoming historical drama Shardlake starring Game of Thrones’ Sean Bean and Masters of the Air’s Anthony Boyle, and it looks like a bloody good time.
Set in Tudor England during the dissolution of the monasteries, the series follows Matthew Shardlake (Arthur Hughes), a "crook-backed" lawyer with an acute sense of justice who works for Henry VIII’s scheming right-hand man Lord Thomas Cromwell (Bean), and Shardlake's cocky assistant Jack Barak (Boyle).
The trailer begins with the brothers of the church admitting to Shardlake that they are afraid of both him and Cromwell, which sets an eerie tone before we get a shot of a devious-looking Bean as the Lord. Soon it becomes apparent that a murder has taken place and Cromwell wants Shardlake and Barak to investigate, leading them on a whodunnit adventure. But before they leave the Lord utters, "You will not fail me… the house must fall," making us think that there is more to this murder investigation than what meets the eye. Watch the full trailer below.
The official synopsis from Disney reads: "Shardlake’s sheltered life as a lawyer is turned upside down when Cromwell instructs him to investigate the murder of one of his commissioners at a monastery in the remote town of Scarnsea. The commissioner was gathering evidence to close the monastery and it is now imperative for Cromwell’s own political survival that Shardlake both solves the murder and closes the monastery. He leaves Shardlake in no doubt that failure is not an option. Cromwell insists that he is accompanied by Barak to Scarnsea, where the duo are met with hostility, suspicion, and paranoia by the monks who fear for their future and will seemingly stop at nothing to preserve their order."
The four-part drama, based on the first novel from author C.J. Sansom’s best-selling book series, is directed by Justin Chadwick - best known for helming the 16th-century historical drama The Other Boleyn Girl, starring Natalie Portman as Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn.
The series' cast also includes Babou Ceesay, Paul Kaye, Ruby Ashbourne Serkis, Peter Firth, Matthew Steer, Irfan Shamji, David Pearse, Miles Barrow, Mike Noble, and Kimberley Nixon.
Shardlake does not yet have a release date but will be available to stream on Disney Plus as soon as it drops. For more, check out our guide to the other best new TV shows coming your way.
