Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands - casting

Joe Sims, Lee Boardman, David Bradley, Ace Bhatti and Gregory Fitoussi have joined an impressive international cast as ITV's epic drama, Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands, continues to film on location in the North East.

The actors will join Kieran Bew, who leads a remarkable cast as one of literature's greatest and most enduring heroes, Beowulf.

Created by James Dormer, Tim Haines and Katie Newman, this action-packed 13 part drama series, produced by Stephen Smallwood for ITV Studios, is set in the mythical Shieldlands, a place of spectacle and danger populated by both humans and fantastical creatures.

Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands is a series about courage, greed, betrayal, revenge, loyalty, power, man versus wilderness and, of course love. It is a series that explores the notion of good and evil, heroes and villains. However, beyond these wider political undercurrents and inner personal turmoils are the excitement, danger and sense of adventure that any great Western has. Epic fights, thrilling chases, raids, celebrations and battles are an essential part of the promise.

Appearing in episode five is Joe Sims (Broadchurch) who plays Greff, a miner who spends his days digging for ore in the forests. Whilst he appears to be the joker, this plucky miner is nobody's fool.

Lee Boardman (The Interceptor, Da Vinci's Demons) is introduced in episode six as Hane, Bregan's Healer, a battlefield medic who is ambitious, tough, politically sagacious, and fiercely loyal.

Guest starring in episode nine is David Bradley (Broadchurch, The Strain) who plays tribe leader, Gorrik, a proud and unforgiving man, who puts duty before heart. He values sincerity and truth rather than politics and above all else, wants to provide for his family and people. For Gorrik, the needs of his community outweigh everything else.

In the same episode, Ace Bhatti (Black Work, The Shadow Line) joins the cast and plays Bregan councillor Harken, a wise and intelligent man with a great understanding of both military strategy and politics without a personal ambition and desire for power.

French actor Gregory Fitoussi (Mr Selfridge, American Odyssey) is introduced as Razzak in episode ten. A spice trader from the Farlands, he's fiercely intelligent and inescapably magnetic figure.

Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands also stars multi award winning actor William Hurt (Humans, Kiss of the Spider Woman), acclaimed actress Joanne Whalley (Wolf Hall, Jamaica Inn), Ed Speleers (Downton Abbey), David Harewood (Homeland, Blood Diamond), Ian Puleston- Davies (Coronation Street), Lolita Chakrabarti (My Mad Fat Diary, The Casual Vacancy), Elliott Cowan (Cilla, Da Vinci's Demons), Ellora Torchia (Indian Summers), Gisli Orn Gardarsson (Spooks and Spirits), Susan Aderin (The Last Detective), Kirsty Oswald (Ripper Street), Laura Donnelly (Outlander), Edward Hogg (Indian Summers), Alex Price (Father Brown), Jack Rowan (Silent Witness) and Itoya Osagiede (Okora: The Prelude).

Filming continues in the North East until the beginning of October. Broadcast is expected 2016.

LINK:	http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/beowulf-return-shieldlan...
	See more stories from itv

Most recent headlines