Helen Mirren to play Catherine the Great in HBO and Sky series

'I am very excited by the possibility of embodying a woman from history who grabbed and then wielded great power'

(Getty Images)

Helen Mirren has found another ruler to add to her CV – Catherine the Great.

Having already notably starred as both Elizabeth I (in the 2005 TV mini-series) and Elizabeth II (in 2006’s The Queen), she’ll now star as the Empress of Russia, who ruled between 1762 and 1796. Under her rule, charging into power after the assassination of her husband Peter II, she transformed Russia and helped it blossom into one of Europe’s great powers.

Mirren actually conceived of the series herself, stating that she’s always to play the iconic historical figure, and was attracted to the idea of playing such a powerful woman.

“I am very excited by the possibility of embodying a woman from history who grabbed and then wielded great power,” she said. “She rewrote the rules of governance by a woman, and succeeded to the extent of having the word Great attached to her name – Catherine the Great.”

The four-part drama will begin filming later this year, and plans to follow Catherine towards the end of her reign, while tracking her passionate affair with military leader Grigory Potemkin, delving into the “politically tumultuous and sexually charged court of the most powerful female monarch in history.”

The series will be produced by Sky and HBO, written by Elizabeth I‘s Nigel Williams, and directed by The Crown‘s Philip Martin.

David M. Thompson, executive producer for Original Pictures, said: “Helen Mirren came to me with the idea for Catherine the Great when we were working with her on Woman In Gold, saying it’s a part she’s always wanted to play. I’m delighted we’re now making the series and indeed we can’t think of anyone better for the role.”

Catherine the Great will air on Sky Atlantic and Now TV in the UK and Ireland next year, alongside plans for international broadcasts.

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