The BBC’s Wolf Hall first aired in 2015, based on the late Dame Hilary Mantel's novel of the same name and its sequel.
It follows Mark Rylance as Tudor politician Thomas Cromwell during the reign of King Henry VIII of England, played by Damian Lewis.
The sequel, titled The Mirror and the Light, picks up where Wolf Hall left off, with the execution of Anne Boleyn, the king’s second wife.
“I'm overjoyed to be able to reunite the extraordinary cast we were lucky enough to assemble for Wolf Hall, led by the brilliant Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis, with the original creative team of Gavin Finney (DOP), Pat Campbell (Designer) and Joanna Eatwell (Costume Designer),” director Peter Kosminsky told the Radio Times.
"We are all determined to complete what we started — and to honour the final novel written by one of the greatest literary figures of our age, Hilary Mantel.”
With a confirmed cast, trailer, and release date, here’s everything you need to know about Wolf Hall season 2.
When is Wolf Hall season 2’s release date?
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday, November 10, 2024.
New episodes are expected to be released weekly.
Who stars in Wolf Hall season 2?
As noted above, the cast features returning actors such as Oscar winner Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Emmy winner Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII.
In addition — despite the character’s death in the first season — Sir Jonathan Pryce will reprise his role as Cromwell's mentor Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.
Kate Phillips is also set to return as Jane Seymour, the third wife of the king and now Queen of England, with Lilit Lesser returning as the king's daughter Mary, now titled Lady Mary.
Some actors are not returning to the same roles, with the characters played by Bernard Hill, Jessica Raine, Tom Holland, and Mark Gatiss now being played by new actors.
What is the plot of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light?
The second season will retell the plot of the third book in the late Dame Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, titled The Mirror and the Light.
"May 1536. Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife, is dead,” reads the BBC’s official synopsis. “As the axe drops, Thomas Cromwell emerges from the bloodbath to continue his climb to power and wealth, while his formidable master, Henry, settles to short-lived happiness with his third queen, Jane Seymour.
"Cromwell, a man with only his wits to rely on, has no great family to back him, and no private army. Navigating the moral complexities that accompany the exercise of power in this brutal and bloody time, Cromwell is caught between his desire to do what is right and his instinct to survive. But in the wake of Henry VIII having executed his queen, no one is safe.
"Despite rebellion at home, traitors plotting abroad and the threat of invasion testing Henry’s regime to breaking point, Cromwell’s robust imagination sees a new country in the mirror of the future. All of England lies at his feet, ripe for innovation and religious reform. But as fortune’s wheel turns, Cromwell’s enemies are gathering in the shadows.
"The inevitable question remains: how long can anyone survive under Henry’s cruel and capricious gaze?"
The BBC has already released a trailer for the long-awaited second season.
You can watch it below
You can watch the first episode of The Mirror and the Light on November 10, with weekly episodes to follow.
