Passion, ambition and treachery collide as
"The Tudors" kicks off its first season on September 8 at 10
p.m. on HBO Signature on SkyCable. New episodes premiere daily
at 10 p.m.
About the early years of the infamous reign
of England’s King Henry VIII and covering ten tumultuous years
leading to his first divorce, the King is portrayed here as
never before - young, sexy, intriguing, romantic and
infinitely more complex.
At the age of nineteen, Henry succeeds to
the throne. Affairs of the state carry little interest for the
young monarch and official matters are left to the powerful
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, while Henry indulges in his carnal
desires. For those in the King’s inner circle - including
Cardinal Wolsey, second wife Anne Boleyn, Catholic martyr Sir
Thomas More and the Duke of Norfolk, staying in favor of the
self-serving king is an arduous and dubious task.
Filmed entirely on location in Ireland,
"The Tudors" stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII, Maria
Doyle Kennedy as his Queen, Katherine of Aragon; Jeremy
Northam as Sir Thomas More; Sam Neill as Cardinal Wolsey;
Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn; Henry Cavill as Charles
Brandon; Callum Blue as Anthony Knivert; Henry Czerny as the
Duke of Norfolk and Gabrielle Anwar as Princess Margaret
Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister.
Henry is England’s most infamous royal; the
super-sized king who consumed food and wives as voraciously as
he belched out those who crossed him. He has been depicted
throughout history as a rotund man of ruthless appetites; a
monstrous ego who eradicated any traditions that got in the
way of his ambitions. The view of a smart and sexy young king
has been overlooked - until now.
Creator/writer Michael Hirst previously
reconceived English history in a new and exciting way with his
script for the hit feature film "Elizabeth" (1998). Now he
turns his talents to that dynamic Queen’s father, Henry.
"The Tudors" is first and foremost about an
exciting and overlooked historical figure. For Hirst, "… a
young king, surrounded by young people, who can do what he
wants. What would it be like if you were 25 years old and had
complete power: how would you exercise it? I imagined someone
who would recognize no barriers, never recognize a limit... to
his power, to his intellect, to his appetites, to his physical
abilities."
For more information, log on to
www.hboasia.com.
