| Series: | The Hollow Crown |
| Series No: | 2 |
| Episode: | 3 |
| Director: | Dominic Cooke |
| Teleplay: | Dominic Cooke Ben Power |
| Producer: | Rupert Ryle-Hodges |
| Music: | Dan Jones |
| Length: | 130 minutes |
| Prev: | Henry VI, Part 2 |
"Richard III" is third episode of the second series of the British television series The Hollow Crown, based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare. It was directed by Dominic Cooke, who also adapted the screenplay with Ben Power. It starred Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard III, Sophie Okonedo as Queen Margaret and Judi Dench as Cecily.[1] It was first broadcast on 21 May 2016 on BBC Two.
The concluding cycle of plays were produced in 2015 by the same team that made the first series and were directed by the former artistic director of Royal Court Theatre and Olivier Award winner, Dominic Cooke.[2] They were adapted by Dominic Cooke and Ben Power.
Executive producer Pippa Harris stated, "The critical and audience reaction to The Hollow Crown series set the bar high for Shakespeare on screen, and Neal Street (Productions) is delighted to be making the concluding part of this great history cycle. By filming the ‘Henry VI’ plays as well as ‘Richard III,’ we will allow viewers to fully appreciate how such a monstrous tyrant could find his way to power, bringing even more weight and depth to this iconic character."[3]
Once again, the production returned to Kent for The Wars of The Roses, filming at Dover Castle, Leeds Castle and Penshurst Place.[4]
The second cycle of plays aired on consecutive Saturday evenings on BBC Two commencing Saturday 7 May 2016.[5] [6]
A Region 2 DVD set of The Wars of the Roses was released on 20 June 2016. A Region 1 DVD set was released on 21 June 2016.
The original music soundtrack from The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses composed by Dan Jones was released on the Wave Theory Records label in June 2016 and performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales[7] [8]