Henry VI, Part 2 (film)
Henry VI, Part 2 is a 2016 British television film based on the plays Henry VI, Part 2 and Henry VI, Part 3 by William Shakespeare. It is the sixth film in the series of television adaptations of William Shakespeare's history plays produced by Sam Mendes for BBC Two under the title The Hollow Crown.[1] It was directed by Dominic Cooke, who also adapted the screenplay with Ben Power. It starred Tom Sturridge as Henry VI, Sophie Okonedo as Queen Margaret and Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard.[2] The adaptation presents Henry VI in two parts, incorporating all three Henry VI plays.
Henry VI, Part 2 | |
---|---|
Genre | Historical drama |
Based on | Henry VI, Part 2 Henry VI, Part 3 by William Shakespeare |
Screenplay by | Dominic Cooke Ben Power |
Directed by | Dominic Cooke |
Starring | Benedict Cumberbatch Sophie Okonedo Tom Sturridge Adrian Dunbar |
Music by | Dan Jones |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers | Sam Mendes Pippa Harris |
Producer | Rupert Ryle-Hodges |
Running time | 123 minutes |
Production companies | Neal Street Productions NBCUniversal WNET |
Release | |
Original network | BBC Two |
Original release |
|
Chronology | |
Preceded by | Henry VI, Part 1 |
Followed by | Richard III |
The two Henry VI films aired in 2016 as part of the concluding cycle The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses, along with an adaptation of the final play in Shakespeare's first tetralogy, Richard III. Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Leading Actor and The Wars of the Roses was nominated for Best Mini-Series.[3]
Cast
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard Plantagenet
- Ben Daniels as Duke of Buckingham
- Adrian Dunbar as Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York
- James Fleet as Baron Hastings
- Phoebe Fox as Lady Anne
- Keeley Hawes as Queen Elizabeth
- Anton Lesser as Duke of Exeter
- Ben Miles as Earl of Somerset
- Sophie Okonedo as Queen Margaret
- Andrew Scott as King Louis XI of France
- Kyle Soller as Lord Clifford
- Geoffrey Streatfeild as King Edward IV
- Tom Sturridge as King Henry VI
- Stanley Townsend as Earl of Warwick
- Sam Troughton as George Plantagenet
- Jason Watkins as Duke of Suffolk
- Alan David as Bishop of Ely
- Mariah Gale as Lady Bona
- Barney Harris as Prince Edward
- Angus Imrie as Edmund Plantagenet
- Richard Lynch as Earl of Westmorland
- Stuart McQuarrie as Vernon
- Steffan Rhodri as Earl of Oxford
- Lucy Robinson as Cecily Neville, Duchess of York
Production
The concluding cycle of plays were produced in 2015 by the same team that made the first series and were directed by the former artistic director of Royal Court Theatre and Olivier Award winner, Dominic Cooke.[1] They were adapted by Dominic Cooke and Ben Power. The adaptation presents Henry VI in two parts, incorporating all three Henry VI plays.
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."[4]
Once again, the production returned to Kent for The Wars of The Roses, filming at Dover Castle, Leeds Castle and Penshurst Place.[5]
Broadcast
The second cycle of plays aired on consecutive Saturday evenings on BBC Two commencing Saturday 7 May 2016.[6][7]
Home media
A Region 2 DVD set of The Wars of the Roses was released on 20 June 2016. A Region 1 DVD set was released on 21 June 2016.
Soundtrack
The original music soundtrack from The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses composed by Dan Jones was released on the Wave Theory Records label in June 2016 and performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales[8][9]
Awards
Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
---|---|---|---|
BAFTA Television Awards 2017 | Nominated | Best Leading Actor | Benedict Cumberbatch |
Nominated | Best Mini-Series | The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses |
References
- "BBC Two - The Hollow Crown". BBC. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
- "BBC Two announces further casting for The Hollow Crown: The Wars Of The Roses". BBC Media Centre. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
- "Bafta TV awards 2017: full list of winners". The Guardian. 14 May 2017. Retrieved 22 Jan 2018.
- Barraclough, Leo (6 April 2014). "Benedict Cumberbatch to Play Richard III in Neal Street's Film for BBC". Variety. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
- Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses Article".
- "Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Henry VI". UPI. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- "The best star studded Shakespeare TV adaptations". UK Radio Times. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- "The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (Film music soundtrack by Dan Jones)". Wave Theory Records.
- "The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (Dan Jones & BBC National Orchestra of Wales)". Amazon UK.