Sky’s Amadeus: What Do We Know So Far?

57 minutes ago

The White Lotus star Will Sharpe takes on the mammoth role of Mozart in this five-part drama

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From gritty comedic turns to an Emmy-nominated role in The White Lotus, actor-writer-director Will Sharpe is becoming one of the most recognisable faces on British telly. And next he’s taking on the role of one of music’s most famous composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Based on Peter Shaffer’s Tony award winning 1979 play of the same name, Amadeus is a fictional account of the intertwined lives of Austrian Mozart and fellow Italian composer Antonio Salieri – itself based on the 1830 play Mozart and Salieri by Alexander Pushkin. It seems there’s always been an interest in the duo – tightly competitive contemporaries battling it out in 18th century Vienna, the capital of classical music at the time (and if a time period could also be a capital, this would be it).

You might also know the story from the 1984 film adaptation of the same name, starring Tom Hulce and Sharpe’s White Lotus co-star F. Murray Abraham. But in this new adaptation by Joe Barton (who has worked across Giri/Haji with Sharpe as well as the recent Netflix hit Black Doves) – first announced in February 2024 – we’re told to expect a ‘spectacular five-part reimagination’ of Shaffer’s tale. Finally set to premiere this season, here’s everything we know so far, plus when we will get to see it.

Will Sharpe as Amadeus. (© Sky)

Amadeus: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More

The series will open in late 18th century Vienna where, of course, we know Mozart thrived. No longer a child prodigy, we meet the composer aged 25 exploring this bustling new city, where he has relocated for more creative freedom. And it is here that his life is irrevocably changed by two pivotal figures: his fiercely loyal future wife Constanze Weber (Gabrielle Creevy) and the devoutly religious Italian court composer Antonio Salieri (Paul Bettany).

Plagued by personal demons, a questionable reputation and scrutiny from the conservative court, the musician – known as Amadeus in this five-part drama – continues to flourish regardless, much to Salieri’s dismay. Why has this insufferable man been blessed with the divine gift Salieri is entitled to? Amadeus’ talent is a direct threat to everything the Italian composer holds dear: his reputation, his own ability, even his faith in God.

What begins as a professional rivalry festers into something more sinister, and Salieri pledges to bring his rival down and Amadeus showcases how one tortured man’s 30-year envy can spiral into a legacy-altering obsession. Watch the trailer below for a taste of the action.

The five part series is directed by Julian Farino (who also directed Giri/Haji starring Sharpe) and Alice Seabright, who has worked across Sex Education and Chloe.

Is It Based On A True Story?

While Mozart and Salieri were contemporaries living, working and composing in Vienna in the later 1700s, their fierce rivalry is not thought to be true. That said, when Mozart suddenly died aged 35 in 1791, rumours immediately swirled positing Salieri had poisoned the younger composer in the crescendo of a fierce rivalry.

There is of course no evidence that this actually happened: Mozart’s symptoms were inconsistent with poisoning, and there is no historical evidence of the duo even interacting. But the rumour mill turned nevertheless. Salieri vehemently denied all allegations, and it is thought the strain of the belief contributed to multiple nervous breakdowns in his later life.

A talented composer himself, Salieri was the Austrian imperial Kapellmeister from 1788 to 1824, meaning he was in charge of all the music at the court chapel and its attached school. He lived until 1825, but had been less active with regards to original works since around 1804. Nevertheless, he was a very sought-after teacher, with notable students including Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart – the son of Wolfgang and Constanze Mozart – so certainly no ill-will through the generations.

Paul Bettany as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. (© Sky)

The Cast

Sharpe takes on the leading role as the eccentric, unconventional Mozart to Paul Bettany’s stiffly pious Antonio Salieri. Best known for his Emmy nominated role in The White Lotus season 2, you might also recognise Sharpe from the BBC’s Giri/Haji, Netflix’s Too Much, Jesse Eisenberg’s recent film A Real Pain (2024) and the 2016 Channel 4 black comedy Flowers with Olivia Colman, which he also wrote.

Bettany meanwhile is known most widely for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision, though he is also well known for roles across A Knight’s Tale (2001), Wimbledon (2004), The Da Vinci Code (2006) and The Tourist (2010). He has been very selective with his television roles across his career, and hasn’t appeared on the small screen since 2021 – and before 2017’s Manhunt, not since 2000.

Joining them at the fore is relative newcomer Gabrielle Creevy as Constanze Weber, Amadeus’ wife, who you might recognise from Black Doves and her breakout role in BBC thriller The Guest. Speaking to C&TH, the Welsh star called Amadeus one of her favourite roles to date, ‘in terms of how it challenged me’. She also noted the detailed historical costumes she had the chance to wear; ‘it was so fun to dress up,’ she said.

Elsewhere in the cast you will recognise Rory Kinnear from shows like Black Mirror and The Diplomat (as well as four Bond films), and Hugh Sachs from his roles in Benidorm and Bridgerton.