The Hollow Crown (TV series)

Cycle I Richard II 148 minutes Henry IV Part I 120 minutes

The BBC scheduled the screening of Shakespeares history plays as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, a celebration of British culture coinciding with the 2012 Summer Olympics. Sam Mendes signed up as executive producer to adapt all four plays in September 2010. He is joined as executive producer by Pippa Harris both representing Neal Street Productions, Rupert RyleHodges as producer, Gareth Neame NBCUniversal, and Ben Stephenson BBC.The concluding cycle of films will be produced by the same team that made the first series. It will be directed by Dominic Cooke. Richard III will be played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Executive producer Pippa Harris stated, The critical and audience reaction to The Hollow Crown series set the bar high for Shakespeare on screen, and Neal Street Productions is delighted to be making the concluding part of this great History cycle. By filming the Henry VI plays as well as Richard III, we will allow viewers to fully appreciate how such a monstrous tyrant could find his way to power, bringing even more weight and depth to this iconic character. ........

Source: Wikipedia