Did you know that Disney are adapting the Shardlake books for TV?

[StrychnineInTheSandwiches]

Oh, I’m excited! This series has been crying out to be adapted for the screen.

And now all we have to do is hope they don’t fuck it up.

What they really should do is involve me in the casting, so they don’t end up casting Channing Tatum or some other muscle bound American hunk as Matthew. And maybe give me script supervisory role too so I can ensure they don’t make too many alterations to the stories.

I'm now glad that the mooted BBC/Kenneth Branagh version never made it into production. I find him quite irritating.

deadline.com/2023/01/disney-adapt-cj-sansom-shardlake-tudor-detective-novels-1235211032/

Sam West? Andy Serkis? Robert Carlyle, Mark Rylance (although he would then have the monopoly on the Tudors). Idris Elba as Barack, although he's perhaps a bit too old. Gary Oldman as Rich (but a shame it couldn't have happened while Alan Rickman was still with us) or Charles Dance. Or Rufus Sewell channelling the baddie from A Knight's Tale.

Damian Lewis would have made a good Barak, but he's too old now. Sheridan Smith would be right for Tamasin, though again a little old now.

James Norton would make a fine Shardlake, he's about the right age too.

James Norton is far too good-looking to be Shardlake! He is nothing like the description in the book.

Several characters mention that Matthew has comely looks, in Tombland for example the Lady Elizabeth says
"I have known many hunchbacks who have married, and far worse looking than you."
So I don't see that he would have to be played by an ugly actor!

It’s Arthur Hughes. But I don’t know who he is.
Lots of info out there if you Google. Sean Bean is Cromwell.

Arthur Hughes

He has a disability and is 30 and not bad looking. Great that they have cast a disabled actor.

It's Ruairi! All Archers fans will know him well

It has to be someone handsome but real for Shardlake. Jack Barak would have been Sean Bean in days gone by (they swapped Sharpe from being a tall dark swarthy southerner to an average blonde northerner!). Someone like the guy who played Uthred son of Uthred would be brilliant in that role!

I really hope this is happening I love these books

https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2023/03/31/disney-sets-cast-and-crew-for-shardlake-adaptation/

Sean Bean is in it 😂

I didn't enjoy Tombland anything like as much as the others. It was more like Sansom writing a paper than a book, and whenever I see the title on my Kindle (we have it in book form too) I see it as Tom Bland and have to do a double take!

I have no idea who any of the actors mentioned are.....😚

Nooooooo - Ruairi doesn't have a beard (in my head).

Exciting news. First thing I've read about Disney plus that has tempted me to subscribe.

I disagree about Tombland being too long. But that's probably because I'm really interested in popular uprisings and protests (eg Peasants' Revolt; Levellers, Diggers etc in the English Civil War; Peterloo Massacre etc) and didn't know anything about this one.

I've just looked at the link.

Why is he accompanied to Scarnsea by Barrack? Barrack isn't in the first book. They'll have to change the plot point about Shardlake's assistant falling in love with the young woman who works at the monastery.

I'd imagine they've decided to just miss out his first assistant Mark entirely and go with the more interesting Barak from the off

Oooooh I've never heard of either Arthur Hughes or Anthony Boyle. I will have to do some googling

Oooh interesting casting. It says four episodes. Do you think that's covering book one? Barak is such a great character I'm glad they've brought him forward. We saw him as Malloy junior on stage in the Harry Potter play. And in zDerry Girls

Yes it’s just book 1.
Let’s hope it’s a success and they can do some of the more ambitious settings… rebuild the abbey at York and sink the Mary Rose….

Annoying that it's on Disney, though, won't be able to watch it.😡

For those of us who care about historical accuracy: it’s the same design and costume team as Becoming Elizabeth, which is good, and they have been buying stuff from some of the best makers of replica costume etc around.
So that’s good.

Ooh… I hadn’t seen this news. Love Shardlake although didn’t get on with the last one at all and gave up.

I always used to think Simon Russell Beale as Matthew but he’s far too old now. I like the idea of Ben Whishaw with maybe Tom Cullen as Jack.

One of the best book series ever written. I hope they do it justice.

It could be worse. It could be whatever obscure pay to view company has outlander now

I’m glad they’ve cast an actor with a disability to play him - some of the names mentioned would have been great but in this day and age, it feels a bit wrong to have a character like Shardlake, whose physical differences are such a big deal for him and the people around him, played by someone just pretending. And Sean Bean is always good value. Between this and the Rivals adaptation being made, I think I’ll be lobbying to hold onto Disney+ for a bit longer!