'Will' Season 1 Air Date, Trailer, Cast News: Young Shakespeare Is a Rebel in Drama with Contemporary Flavor [VIDEO]
Today's young viewers might not appreciate the traditional way Shakespeare's life has been told, adapted and retold. But TNT hopes to change that with a new drama that's simply called "Will."
"Will" delves into William Shakespeare as a 20-something budding playwright, before the world came to know him as one of history's most brilliant writers. The one thing different with "Will" as a show, however, is that while the series will be set in 16th century London, it will be told with a contemporary style.
Will (Laurie Davidson), a rebellious, sexy, party-loving young man, arrives in London and witnesses the emergence of punk-rock theater, and the series' soundtrack will feature modern music to complement this setting. Will meets the Burbage family and becomes entangled in their lives, especially the Burbage daughter, Alice. Joining Davidson in the cast are Olivia DeJonge (Alice Burbage), Colm Meaney (James Burbage), Mattias Inwood (Richard Burbage), William Houston (Kemp), Lukas Rolfe (Presto), Max Bennett (Robert Southwell) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (Emilia Bassano).
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"Everyone was very much in agreement that they didn't want our Shakespeare to feel like something from the history books, something dusty and really dated," Davidson told Vulture, adding Shakespeare would likely hate being referred to as an academic if he were alive today. "Shakespeare shouldn't be something just for the intellectual. It is for everyone," Davidson said.
Craig Pearce, who worked on films like "Romeo + Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge!" created the show, while "Elizabeth" director Shekhar Kapur did a few episodes, including the pilot. "Will" was supposed to air on Pivot but TNT picked it up for a 10-episode run when the other network closed down.
"Will" season 1 will begin its run on Monday, July 10, at 9 pm on TNT. Check out the teaser to get an idea of the show's feel and style.
