HBO and BBC have given the green light to Parade’s End, a five-part miniseries set during World War I, written by Oscar winner Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare In Love) and starring British actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall. The mini will be directed by Susanna White, Emmy nominee for her work on another HBO mini set during a war, Generation Kill. Parade’s End is based on the series of four books by British novelist Ford Madox Ford, which were published between 1924-28. Set against the backdrop of World War I, it tells 
the story of a complex and destructive love triangle among a conservative English aristocrat (Cumberbatch), his beautiful but cruel socialite wife (Hall), and a vibrant young suffragette. The mini, executive produced by Michele Buck and Damien Timmer, is slated to begin production in the fall. Selwyn Roberts and David Parfit will serve as producers. Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock Holmes on the BBC series Sherlock, has several movies in the pipeline: The Whistleblower, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, War Horse and The Hobbit. Hall next stars in another WWI project, horror thriller feature The Awakening. She is currently filming Stephen Frears’ Lay the Favorite.
HBO Greenlights World War I Mini Starring Benedict Cumberbatch And Rebecca Hall
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It will be interesting to see Rebecca Hall sink her acting chops into this “cruel socialite wife” as a counter point to her character in The Town.
It has my interest just to see what she does.
vote “benedict cumberpatch” for best actor name of 2011. he’s good on SHERLOCK, although playing a sociopath is sorta cheating these days.
So true!
I’ve heard better.
No you havent. Benedict Cumberbatch is the best actor of his generation. He was incredible on stage as the Creature in Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein. He’s building up a large fanbase which I’m thrilled to see. He deserves to be appreciated by a wide audience. Many actors churn out the same character in so many productions. The same ticks and manerismans crop up time and time again but Cumberbatch creates unique characters. I’ll never forget seeing him in Frankenstein and Terence Rattigan’s After the Dance.
Some of my favourite television performances of all time are his – Stephen Hawking in Hawking, Van Gogh in Van Gogh Painted with Words and Edmund Talbot in To The Ends of the Earth.
Holly, I travelled to London especially to see Benedict Cumberbatch in Frankenstein and he gave one of the greatest performances in live theater I can remember seeing. Not just excellent, but with that whatever it is which elevates an actor into an artist. I love him in Sherlock as well and can’t wait for the new season.
Better Cumberbatch in this than Anna Karenina! Can’t have all the fun!
Just a guess…EMMY, EMMY, EMMY, EMMY, EMMY. Both of these two are great actors and people. This will be fun.
Cumberbatch is brilliant in Sherlock! I will watch him in anything. Looking forward to this because Hall is a strong talent as well.
Bingo!
Interesting. He’s so damn good in that Sherlock series.
what does this mean for sherlock? i thought i read they where gonna make more episodes
Shooting for Sherlock will be done by the time they start this. The second series airs in the autumn I believe.
Benedict Cumberbatch is currently filming 3 more Sherlock films for the BBC. He went straight from Danny Boyle’s awesome Frankenstein to BBC Wales to start filming as Sherlock. I would love Deadline to find out who is playing Irene Adler opposite him.
I would love to see him take the lead in a graphic novel film. He has the right skills and is developing a big fanbase.
It has no impact on Sherlock which is filming right now its second series.
I’m greedy and wanted Cumberbatch to do the HBO series and Anna Karenina (it was the only reason I was excited to see the film as there’s been so many adaptations).
Cumberbatch would make a fantastic Dream in Sandman or Ditko’s Dr Strange
Not to be horrible but do Americans even know what a suffragette is?
Yes, Americans had suffragettes too. Of course, that doesn`t guarantee they know about them…
Oh please.
I guess I’ll have to watch Sherlock again. I found it annoying but you guys are all in love with it (and boy is this a crew of haters) so maybe it’s worth another watch.
I love the idea of a WWI movie. Now THAT was a war!
Jesus what a cumberbatch love in. He is good, but certainly not the actor of his generation. I saw him in frankenstein at the national and he wasnt that good. To be honest i thought he was upstages by that fantastic train and that amazing field of upside down mushrooms like lights. Plus there was near total agreement from the critics that Jonny lee millers creature was better. This had to be said in the name of balance.
Parity you are talking nonsense. Only 1 critic perferred Lee Miller. Infact I think Ive seen your message posted before on other forums. Not a Lee Miller fan by any chance are you.
How anyone could say the silly train upstaged the actors beats me and if you do think that then you’d also be saying it upstaged Lee Miller too. Cumberbatch got all the heat from the Frankenstein production. He was incredible. I saw both actors in the role and Lee Miller was poorer in BOTH roles. Infact his Dr Frankesntein was very 1 dimensional which was highlighted by a number of critics.
Joe Wright has said that Cumberbatch is being offered roles daily which is great to hear but also saddens me because it must mean he’s turning down so many great roles too.
Parades End is a hard read (well it was for me anyway) A very difficult role for Cumberbatch as he could come across as a martyr. Its a frustrating character and I can see the actors fans getting twisted in knots fretting over all the awful things that happen to his character. Its an easy role for Hall but she could come across too crassly if she isnt careful. Hopefully Stoppard’s script wont let that happen. For instance the wife hates her husband so much she gets him sent to the front line by spreading a runour that he is a communist.Thats just one of the despicable things she does to him.
I cant wait to see the procution but if I’m honest I’d rather Cumberbatch focused on his film career now and gets some big roles so he’s known more in the US. He’s a much better actor than McAvoy and Fassbender and it irritates me to see both actors get leading man film roles when he doesnt.
Cumberbatch is very good when playing intelligent, upper class Englishmen. He’s talented, but limited. And if he ever plays another American, I hope he gets a better accent coach than he got in The Whistleblower.