There’s A White Lotus Connection In The New Period Drama, Amadeus
History’s greatest composer is the star of a new miniseries coming to Sky later this year: Amadeus, a fictionalised sort-of-biopic of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s life, is set to be a period drama you can’t miss. Starring Will Sharpe (The White Lotus) and Paul Bettany (A Very British Scandal), it’s based on a 1970s play of the same name, and focuses on Mozart’s rivalry with the older composer Antonio Salieri. There’s no trailer yet- but here’s everything we know so far:
What is Amadeus about?
The 1979 play by Peter Shaffer was previously adapted into the Best Picture-winning film of the same name in 1984, though it’s likely this miniseries version will take it in a fresh new direction. Everyone has heard of Mozart and knows of his genius, and the series plays with his almost mythical status in music history. Will Sharpe plays the young and extraordinarily gifted musician, who arrives in Vienna in the 18th century, aged 25.
It’s here that he will meet the Italian composer Salieri (played by Bettany), an accomplished and important composer in his own right, and the two will soon become fierce rivals. The more senior Salieri quickly became astonished by the young Mozart’s musical talent, leading to the crux of the story that will unfold in Sky’s series. While you shouldn’t take it as a very accurate history lesson, it does make for great drama.
Mozart will also meet upon arrival in the Austrian capital, the woman who will become his future wife, Constance, played by Welsh actress Gabrielle Creevy (Black Doves). She’s a young German singer who introduces him to Salieri, and helps him get back on his feet after becoming unemployed, and not having the stable management of his father. But Amadeus and Salieri’s rivalry will soon become all-encompassing and will change their lives forever.
What else do we know, and who else stars?
The series has been in production for several years, but is set to finally arrive on Sky later in 2025. In addition to the main trio, Amadeus is set to also star Rory Kinnear (The Diplomat), Lucy Cohu (COBRA), Jonathan Aris (Sherlock), Jessica Alexander (The Little Mermaid), Hugh Sachs (Bridgerton) and Enyi Okoronkwo (Renegade Nell). While there’s no trailer or official promo images yet, stayed tuned for more info in the coming months.
