The White Lotus star Will Sharpe is set to take on the role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in a series adaptation of Amadeus.
The series will be a reimagined verison of Peter Shaffer’s award-winning stage play, adapted by Joe Barton and directed by Julian Farino.
As with the play, Barton’s arrangement is described as "fresh, intimate and irreverent" and will feel at times in the hands of the characters themselves. It will ask audiences to bear witness to the making and unmaking of a musical genius by those that loved and envied him most.
Barton’s adaptation of Amadeus expands and interrogates the mythic rivalry, promising a corrupting symphony of jealousy, ambition and genius.
Set within the musical hub of bustling Vienna at the end of the 18th century, twenty-five-year-old Amadeus arrives in the city no longer a child and determined to carve his own path. Recently unemployed and without the management of his father, Amadeus finds an unlikely ally in a young singer who will become his wife, fiery Constanze Weber Mozart.
Production is expected to begin later this year. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handle international sales of the series.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
It's good subject matter for a limited series, though Julian Farino and Joe Barton aren't exactly the calibre of Milos Forman or Peter Hall.
I assume:
this series doesn't get officially greenlit without an actual star for Salieri (a Hiddleston or Cumberbatch or Fiennes or MacFadyen or Pattinson type).
this premature announcement is being done with the intention of making the series sound "real" to agents/networks/streamers.
We need a “series adaptation of Amadeus” because…what?
I’d like to see a television version of the original play that won the 1981 Tony Award for Best Play by Peter Shaffer, or, at the very least, a television version of Mr. Shaffer’s 1985 Oscar winning adaptation of his play.
EthelMae said: "I’d like to see a television version of the original play thatwon the 1981 Tony Award forBest Play by Peter Shaffer, or, at the very least, a television version of Mr. Shaffer’s 1985 Oscar winning adaptation of his play."
I wish that Alec Baldwin/Scott Ellis "Live Play" production of A FEW GOOD MEN had actually happened. Not that I think it would have been great but maybe would have generated ratings and paved the way for similar live nonmusical productions. Amadeus could have been a natural fit for that (especially if filmed on location at some beautiful old estate).
I agree that although this may turn out to be great, on paper it's a real head-scratcher to me. Why Will Sharpe? Is this color-conscious casting, or color-blind casting? And why call it Amadeus and reference Shaffer's play if it's really just a completely new series (or mini-series?) about Mozart? I'd be more interested in watching a new pair of (preferably A-list) actors tackling the two leads in Shaffer's play.
Very excited for this. Will Sharpe is a terrific actor (and quite a talented writer/director, too), oozing charisma and extremely easy on the eyes. He was definitely one of the main attractions of "White Lotus," but if you're concerned about his suitability for "Amadeus," check out "Giri/Haji" on Netflix. He's remarkably charismatic in an entirely different role, perhaps a little closer to Mozart.
The Distinctive Baritone said: "I agree that although this may turn out to be great, on paper it's a real head-scratcher to me. Why Will Sharpe? Is this color-conscious casting, or color-blind casting? And why call itAmadeusand reference Shaffer's play if it's really just a completely new series (or mini-series?) about Mozart? I'd be more interested in watching a new pair of (preferably A-list) actors tackling the two leads in Shaffer's play."
What a condescending ask. Dismissive of someone because they are not "A-list"