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Will Sharpe is Mozart and Paul Bettany Takes on Salieri in New Amadeus Series
Sky has released the first look at Amadeus, a lavish new five-part miniseries that reimagines the life, genius, and downfall of one of history’s most celebrated composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The White Lotus star Will Sharpe steps into the role of Mozart, while Paul Bettany (WandaVision, A Very British Scandal) plays his envious rival, court composer Antonio Salieri. Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin) co-stars as Constanze Weber, Mozart’s fiercely loyal wife, with Rory Kinnear (The Diplomat, Skyfall) as Emperor Joseph.
A story of brilliance, rivalry, and obsession
Adapted by Joe Barton (Black Doves, Giri/Haji) from Peter Shaffer’s Tony- and Academy Award-winning play, Amadeus charts the meteoric rise of Mozart in 18th-century Vienna. Arriving at 25, no longer a child prodigy but desperate for creative freedom, Mozart’s world collides with Constanze and the devoutly religious Salieri.
As Mozart’s musical brilliance flourishes, his irreverence and personal demons stir scepticism in the conservative court. For Salieri, his rival’s seemingly divine gift becomes an unbearable torment. What begins as professional envy grows into a consuming obsession spanning three decades—ending in a shocking murder confession and Salieri’s desperate attempt to entwine his legacy with Mozart’s forever.
A star-studded ensemble
Alongside Sharpe, Bettany, Creevy, and Kinnear, the cast features Lucy Cohu, Hugh Sachs, Jonathan Aris, Ényì Okoronkwo, Jessica Alexander, Paul Bazely, Rupert Vansittart, Anastasia Martin, Nancy Farino, Olivia-Mai Barrett, Viola Prettejohn, and Jyuddah Jaymes.
The series is directed by Julian Farino (Giri/Haji) and Alice Seabright (Sex Education), with Barton, Sharpe, Bettany, and Farino also serving as executive producers. Amadeus is produced by Two Cities Television in association with Sky Studios, with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handling international sales.
A legacy of stage and screen
Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, first staged in 1979, was inspired by Alexander Pushkin’s 1830 play Mozart and Salieri, later set as an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov. Shaffer’s play was famously adapted into the 1984 film Amadeus, which swept the Oscars with eight wins, including Best Picture.
Sky’s new Amadeus promises to bring the same mix of grandeur, passion, and rivalry to the small screen—described as a “symphony of genius, rivalry and vengeance.”
Amadeus will air on Sky and stream on NOW later this year.