Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light will premiere on BBC One this autumn

everything to know BBC Wolf Hall

Credit: BBC

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Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light will premiere on BBC One this autumn

3 min read

Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light, the third and final novel in Dame Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, is finally upon us…


Few books are more lauded than Wolf Hall, the late Dame Hilary Mantel’s multi-award-winning trilogy about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell. 

Back in 2015, a Bafta and Golden Globe award-winning series adaptation of the novels blasted onto our screens. Now, almost a decade later, the third and final novel will be brought to life by the same team in Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light.

Academy Award-winner Mark Rylance will be reprising his Bafta-winning role as Cromwell, while Emmy Award-winner Damian Lewis will be back on frightening form as King Henry VIII.

Watch the trailer for Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light

Excited to sink back into all of that Tudor drama? Of course you are!

Here’s what you need to know…

What is Wolf Hal: The Mirror And The Light about?

As per the official synopsis, the second season of Wolf Hall begins where the first left off: it’s May 1536, and Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife, is dead. 

“As the axe drops, Thomas Cromwell emerges from the bloodbath to continue his climb to power and wealth, while his formidable master, Henry, settles to short-lived happiness with his third queen, Jane Seymour,” it reads.

everything to know about Wolf Hall

Credit: BBC

“Cromwell, a man with only his wits to rely on, has no great family to back him, and no private army. Navigating the moral complexities that accompany the exercise of power in this brutal and bloody time, Cromwell is caught between his desire to do what is right and his instinct to survive. But in the wake of Henry VIII having executed his queen, no one is safe.”

Who stars in Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light?

In addition to Rylance and Lewis, Sir Jonathan Pryce — despite the character’s death in the first season — will reprise his role as Cromwell’s mentor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.

Kate Phillips is also set to return as Jane Seymour, the third wife of the king and now Queen of England, with Lilit Lesser returning as the king’s daughter Mary, now titled Lady Mary.

They are joined by:

  • Hannah Steele
  • Thomas Brodie-Sangster
  • James Larkin 
  • Hannah Khalique-Brown
  • Harry Melling
  • Paul Clayton
  • Timothy Spall 
  • Harriet Walter 
  • Alex Jennings 
  • Tom Mothersdale
  • Karim Kadjar 
  • Maisie Richardson-Sellers
  • Ellie de Lange 
  • Lydia Leonard 
everything to know about Wolf Hall

Credit: BBC

What are people saying about Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light?

Director Peter Kosminsky says: “The Mirror And The Light picks up exactly where Wolf Hall ended, with the execution of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. I’m overjoyed to be able to reunite the extraordinary cast we were lucky enough to assemble for Wolf Hall, led by the brilliant Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis, with the original creative team of Gavin Finney (director of photography), Pat Campbell (designer) and Joanna Eatwell (costume designer).”

“We are all determined to complete what we started – and to honour the final novel written by one of the greatest literary figures of our age, Hilary Mantel.” The author passed away in September 2022.

When can we watch Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light?

The series will launch on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on Sunday 10 November at 9pm, with new episodes premiering weekly.

Images: BBC Pictures

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