“There are unscrupulous people in Russia – fortunately, I am one of them,” declares a formidable Helen Mirren in full regalia as Catherine the Great in the first trailer of the Sky series based on the Russian empress, which will be on HBO in the U.S.
Oscar-winner Mirren is joined by Jason Clarke, Gina McKee and Rory Kinnear in the series, which bows on the Sky Atlantic channel in the U.K. this fall. HBO has “Catherine the Great” for the U.S. The series is the latest out of its drama partnership with Comcast-owned Sky.
The trailer shows scenes in palaces, battlefields and the bedroom, with glimpses of the life and loves of one of the most powerful female monarchs in history, including her passionate affair with general Grigory Potemkin.
“I have survived for half a century in a world that does not want me,” she says in a more reflective moment.
“Catherine the Great” is produced by Origin Pictures and New Pictures. Nigel Williams (“Elizabeth I”) penned the show. It is directed by BAFTA- and Emmy Award-winning Philip Martin (“The Crown”).
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Hulu also has a series about Catherine, “The Great,” starring Elle Fanning and from Tony McNamara (“The Favourite”).