Hulu has released the official trailer for its upcoming period drama, Shardlake, based on the popular Tudor murder mystery novels by C.J. Sansom. Set in 16th-century England during the dissolution of the monasteries, the series follows lawyer Matthew Shardlake, played by Arthur Hughes, as he investigates a murder at a monastery in the remote town of Scarnsea.
The trailer opens with Hughes’ Shardlake, a man with an acute sense of justice, questioning why he smells “secrets and fear” in a place of worship. Sean Bean is Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s dangerous and all-powerful right-hand man, who tasks Shardlake with solving the murder of one of his commissioners. Cromwell makes it clear that failure is not an option, as his own political survival depends on the outcome of the investigation.
The trailer offers a glimpse of the eerie and suspenseful atmosphere of the series, with Shardlake and his assistant, Jack Barak (Anthony Boyle), facing hostility, suspicion, and paranoia from the monks who will stop at nothing to preserve their order. The series promises a compelling whodunit adventure, with a cast that includes Babou Ceesay as Abbot Fabian, Paul Kaye as Brother Jerome, and Ruby Ashbourne Serkis as Alice.
Shardlake is written by Stephen Butchard and directed by Justin Chadwick. It is executive produced by George Ormond, Mark Pybus, and Stevie Lee, with John Griffin as producer. The series is set to stream on Hulu, although a release date has not yet been announced.
