Sky has unveiled a first look at its lavish new "event series" Amadeus, a bold reimagining of Mozart’s life.

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Leading the cast is Will Sharpe (Giri/Haji, The White Lotus) as Wolfgang "Amadeus" Mozart, the 18th-century musical prodigy whose brilliance shook Vienna.

Paul Bettany (WandaVision, A Very British Scandal) takes on the role of Antonio Salieri, the devout court composer consumed by jealousy, while Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin, Black Doves) stars as Constanze Weber, Mozart’s fiercely loyal wife.

The five-part Sky Original drama is based on Peter Shaffer’s award-winning play and has been adapted for television by Joe Barton (Black Doves, The Lazarus Project).

Set in bustling 18th-century Vienna, the series follows 25-year-old Mozart as he arrives determined to escape his child prodigy label and carve out his own creative freedom. But his dazzling talent soon threatens to destabilise the conservative court.

Paul Bettany as Antonio Salieri in an ornate theatre box, dressed in a pale blue embroidered 18th-century suit with lace cuffs and cravat, staring intently across the stage under warm golden light.
Paul Bettany as Salieri in Amadeus Sky

Standing in his way is Antonio Salieri, the respected court composer whose faith in God is shaken by Mozart’s apparently divine gift. What begins as professional rivalry quickly morphs into obsession. Salieri sees Mozart as a danger to everything he values: his reputation, his faith, and his place in history.

Meanwhile, Constanze Weber emerges as Mozart’s anchor, fighting to keep him afloat against the weight of scandal, scepticism and his own self-destructive tendencies.

Gabrielle Creevy as Constanze Weber sits at a candlelit table in a dimly lit tavern, wearing a dark 18th-century gown with a feathered headpiece and black choker, looking composed with a glass and wine bottle beside her.
Gabrielle Creevy as Constanzé in Amadeus Sky

Over the course of 30 years, the drama charts the stormy relationship between Mozart and Salieri, "culminating in a murder confession and a desperate attempt to entwine himself with Mozart’s legacy forever."

Alongside Sharpe, Bettany and Creevy, the supporting cast features such notable names as Rory Kinnear (The Diplomat) playing Emperor Joseph, Lucy Cohu (Becoming Jane) as Cecilia Weber and Jonathan Aris (The Sixth Commandment) as Leopold Mozart.

The series – directed by Julian Farino (Giri/Haji) and Alice Seabright (Chloe, Sex Education) – will air on Sky and streaming service NOW later this year.

Sharpe previously told Radio Times that he found it "an interesting challenge to get into the headspace of Mozart."

"Obviously there’s no footage of the real man, so I tried to get a sense of him through his music, which at times is grand and dark, and at other times sweet and playful – like the seemingly paradoxical elements of his psyche," the actor explained.

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Authors

Morgan JefferyDigital Editor

Morgan Jeffery is the Digital Editor for Radio Times, overseeing all editorial output across digital platforms. He was previously TV Editor at Digital Spy and has featured as a TV expert on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky Atlantic.

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