Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is an upcoming historical drama television series. It is a second adaptation by Peter Straughan of the Wolf Hall novels by Hilary Mantel and covers The Mirror and the Light, the final novel in the trilogy. It has Peter Kosminsky returning to direct, Mark Rylance returning in the lead role of Thomas Cromwell, and Peter Straughan returning to write from the 2015 series Wolf Hall.

Premise
The series begins with Thomas Cromwell navigating the Tudor court in the aftermath of the 1536 execution of Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn, and the monarch about to marry his third wife, Jane Seymour.

Cast

 * Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell
 * Damian Lewis as Henry VIII
 * Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary
 * Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey
 * Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Rafe Sadler
 * Timothy Spall as Duke of Norfolk
 * Harriet Walter as Lady Margaret Pole
 * Karim Kadjar as Eustache Chapuys
 * Charlie Rowe as Gregory Cromwell
 * Lydia Leonard as Jane Rochford
 * Harry Melling as Thomas Wriothesley
 * Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour
 * Richard Dillane as Duke of Suffolk
 * Joss Porter as Richard Cromwell
 * Will Keen as Thomas Cranmer
 * Will Tudor as Edward Seymour
 * Tom Mothersdale as Richard Rich
 * Lucy Russell as Lady Shelton
 * James Larkin as Master Treasurer FitzWilliam
 * Thomas Arnold as Hans Holbein the Younger
 * Hannah Steele as Mary Shelton
 * Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Bess Oughtred
 * Corentin Fila as Christophe
 * Viola Prettejohn as Mary Fitzroy
 * Jordan Kouamé as Martin the Gaoler
 * Agnes O'Casey as Margaret Douglas
 * Cecelia Appiah as Nan Seymour
 * Ellie de Lange as Jenneke
 * Hubert Burton as Thomas Howard the Younger
 * Pip Carter as Geoffrey Pole
 * Josef Altin as Thomas Avery
 * Sarah Priddy as Margery Seymour
 * Hannah Khalique-Brown as Dorothea
 * Amir El-Masry as Thomas Wyatt
 * German Segal as Olisleger
 * Summer Richards as Catherine Howard
 * Dana Herfurth as Anne of Cleves

Production
In March 2022, Mark Rylance confirmed that a second series was in development with scripts being worked on for six episodes and Peter Kosminsky set to return as director. Hilary Mantel was acting as consultant on the script adaptation at the time of her death in September 2022. Kominsky, who worked closely with Mantel on the first series and had received installments of the original text as Mantel was writing the third installment of her historical trilogy, released in 2020, said that the series would continue as a "memorial" to the author. Peter Straughan has again adapted the book for the series, as he had in season one, Playground and Company Pictures producing once more. In November 2023, it was reported that broadcaster's Masterpiece PBS and the BBC were set to begin production on the series. It is produced by Lisa Osborne and executive produced by Colin Callender and Noëlette Buckley for Playground, Kosminsky, Lucy Richer for the BBC and Susanne Simpson for Masterpiece.

Casting
As well as Mark Rylance returning as Thomas Cromwell, Damian Lewis also returns as King Henry VIII and Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey. Kate Phillips will also reprise her role as Henry VIII's third wife, Jane Seymour, with Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary. The following month it was reported that Timothy Spall, Harriet Walter and Harry Melling had been added to the cast, as well as Will Tudor, Will Keen and Viola Prettejohn. The casting of the courtiers was more diverse for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.

The casting of Egyptian-British Amir El-Masry as Thomas Wyatt was criticized by Wyatt's descendant, journalist Petronella Wyatt.

Filming
Filming got underway in late 2023. Filming was reported at Berkeley Castle in February 2024. The following month, filming took place at Wells Cathedral.

Broadcast
The series is reportedly set to arrive in the UK on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in late 2024 or early 2025.