Wolf Hall is BACK! Mark Rylance, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Jonathan Pryce are spotted on the set of a new series for the FIRST TIME… eight years after ‘best period drama ever’ debuted

Much-loved period drama Wolf Hall returns to screens, with the star cast starting filming in Bristol on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the BBC announced the return of the popular period drama eight years after the show first aired and work on the series was in progress when Mark Rylance, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Jonathan Pryce were seen on set.

Wolf Hall is set to make a comeback based on the final book in Dame Hilary Mantel’s trilogy, The Mirror And The Light, which stars Mark in the lead role of Thomas Cromwell, Thomas as his secretary Rafe Sadler and Jonathan as Cardinal Wolsey.

The drama of Cromwell’s life has led to his rise to power so far – and the second and final season will show his struggle to hold on to his position as King Henry VIII’s prime minister.

The show’s return comes in the wake of author Dame Hilary’s tragic death in September 2022, after she suffered a sudden massive stroke at the age of 70.

Filming is set to begin soon, with Mark Rylance returning in the lead role of Cromwell, while Damian Lewis stars as Henry VIII.

The first six-part season, which followed the first two novels, aired in 2015 and won BAFTA and Golden Globe awards.

Fans were delighted by the news of the show’s return, with one person on X, formerly Twitter, saying: ‘Wolf Hall is a great series so this is great news.’

A second added: ‘Wolf Hall is probably my favorite period drama of all time and it’s coming back ahhhhhhhh.’

Another exclaimed: ‘Brilliant, I can’t wait!’

Season one portrayed Cromwell’s rise to power as Henry attempted to divorce Anne Boleyn (played by The Crown’s Claire Foy), which was illegal under the Catholic Church at the time.

Cromwell was responsible for the bill that made Henry head of the Church of England, allowing him to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne instead.

The end of the series saw Anne’s execution, as well as the downfall of Sir Thomas More.

In the upcoming season, the king’s chief minister is immediately placed in a vulnerable position, as he comes from humble roots and has no army of his own.

The new series will show his struggle to retain power and the last four years of his life, while Jane Seymour – Henry’s third wife – will be introduced to court.

Kate Phillips will play Jane, while Lilit Lesser will play Henry’s eldest daughter Mary.

The official synopsis for the new series reads: ‘May 1536. Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife, is dead. As the ax falls, Thomas Cromwell emerges from the carnage to continue his rise to power and wealth, while his formidable master, Henry, settles for short-lived happiness with his third queen, Jane Seymour.

‘Cromwell, a man who can only rely on his reason, has no large family to support him, and no private army.

‘Navigating the moral complexities that come with the exercise of power in these brutal and bloody times, Cromwell is caught between his desire to do what is right and his instinct to survive. But now that Henry VIII has executed his queen, no one is safe anymore.

‘Despite rebellion at home, traitors plotting abroad and the threat of invasion that will test Henry’s regime to its limits, Cromwell’s powerful imagination sees a new country in the mirror of the future.

‘The whole of England lies at his feet, ripe for innovation and religious reform. But as the wheel of fortune turns, Cromwell’s enemies gather in the shadows.

“The inevitable question remains: How long can anyone survive under Henry’s cruel and capricious gaze?”

Director Peter Kosminsky said: ‘The Mirror and the Light picks up exactly where Wolf Hall left off, with the execution of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn.

‘I’m thrilled to reunite the extraordinary cast we’ve assembled 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).

“We are all determined to finish what we started – and to honor the last novel written by one of the greatest literary figures of our time, Hilary Mantel.”

BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore added: ‘A stunning and unforgettable adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s sublime novels, Wolf Hall quickly established itself as one of the greatest television dramas of all time, with millions of adoring viewers in the UK and across worldwide.

“Nearly ten years later, we’re thrilled to have reunited this exceptional creative team and key actors to conclude Mantel’s thrilling saga on the BBC.”

Wolf Hall series one is available to watch on BBC iPlayer in the UK.