The BBC and Netflix are gearing up for a brand new epic drama that will take viewers back to one of the most exciting chapters of Greek history and mythology.
Troy: Fall Of A City, according to its producers, promises an awe-inspiring take on the classic tale of war and vengeance.
The eight-part series, created by David Farr (The Night Manager), who is also head writer and executive producer, will air on BBC One in the UK in 2018, followed by a global release on Netflix.
The line-up includes a stellar cast who will tell the epic story of a battle between mortals and gods– and the origins in which set the wheels in motion for the siege of Troy.
The first images for the forthcoming drama have been released and cast members David Threlfall (Shameless), Frances O’Connor (The Missing), David Gyasi (Interstellar), Jonas Armstrong (Robin Hood), Johnny Harris (This Is England) star.
Louis Hunter and Bella Dayne play the lead roles of lovers Paris and Helen, whose love affair brings society to its knees.
Told from the perspective of the Trojan royal family at the heart of the siege, Troy: Fall Of A City ‘is a rich story of love, intrigue, betrayal and belonging’.
The casting of black actors to play the roles of the Greek hero Achilles have already ignited controversy online, with angry fans of Greek history questioning the producers’ motives for casting Greek characters as having African heritage.
The big budget historical drama (about $11.5 million) per episode, has already wrapped filming in Cape Town, South Africa.
Note: Read Gregory C. Pappas’ opinion piece here.
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4 comments
Well, the truth is that we are all originating from Africa. Genetics proves it beyond any doubt. All people on the world today came out of Africa some 60 thousand years ago and were all looking like Africans then. Our skin got whiter and our features changed a bit as we hybridized with Neanderthals and the environment around us changed. Yet even today genetically speaking all humans on earth are and compose one single race in all its variation. the Human race. If you have doubts I invite you to educate yourselves by visiting the Genographic Project from National Geographic, more than 15 years in the making. Search iit and see for yourselves, Heck you may even want to do the Genetic test to trace your own genetic ancestry as well.
Having said, this. Hellenic people, we take out history modern and ancient very serious. We study it from 3rd class in elementary school, and it starts even earlier at home.
if Achilles was African looking this would have been recorded painted or told via oral tradition. It is not a historical fact to portray Achilles as African looking. Achilles was the son of Pelleus, King of the Myrmidons, fair skinned and blond. It can constitute an insult to many too as evidenced by the whole controversy.
Not because of skin color, or origins, simply because of the ignorance expressed about a people’s history. Do you think it would be historically correct to make a series about Shaka the Zulu and have a European looking actor play him?
It is misrepresentation of history and a shame that with 100 million dollar budget the producers, scripters reasearchers could not find the facts of history to represent these series heroes as accurate as possible in this expression of events and people of Ancient Greece. It is sad and disappointing to see such ignorance of history, and from BBC and Netflix on top of it.
Genetic tests have been made with the opposite results you state! Furthermore , most researchers claim that there are gaps on their findings .The more information we get by findings ( either by digging the earth or by decrypting ) the more the Hindoeuropean theory collapses.Same goes for your theory “we are all originating from Africa” and
it is the same propaganda that this movie pushes upon us but with different words.
I am disappointed with the decision of the cast for sure and the reason is simply misrepresenattion of History, permit me to explain bellow:
The truth is that we are all originating from Africa. Genetics proves it beyond any doubt. All people on the world today came out of Africa some 60 thousand years ago and were all looking like Africans then. Our skin got whiter and our features changed a bit as we hybridized with Neanderthals and the environment around us changed. Yet even today genetically speaking all humans on earth are and compose one single race in all its variation. the Human race. If you have doubts I invite you to educate yourselves by visiting the Genographic Project from National Geographic, more than 15 years in the making. Search iit and see for yourselves, Heck you may even want to do the Genetic test to trace your own genetic ancestry as well.
Having said, this. Hellenic people, we take our history modern and ancient very serious. We study it from 3rd class in elementary school, and it starts even earlier at home.
if Achilles was African looking this would have been recorded painted or told via oral tradition. It is not a historical fact to portray Achilles as African looking. Achilles was the son of Pelleus, King of the Myrmidons, fair skinned and blond. It can constitute an insult to many too as evidenced by the whole controversy.
Not because of skin color, or origins, simply because of the ignorance expressed about a people’s history. Do you think it would be historically correct to make a series about Shaka the Zulu and have a European looking actor play him?
It is misrepresentation of history and a shame that with 100 million dollar budget the producers, scripters reasearchers could not find the facts of history to represent these series heroes as accurate as possible in this expression of events and people of Ancient Greece. It is sad and disappointing to see such ignorance of history, and from BBC and Netflix on top of it.
The casting of NORTHERN EUROPEAN actors to play the roles of the ancient Greeks SHOULD have already ignited controversy online, with angry fans of Greek history questioning the producers’ motives for casting Greek characters as having Northern European heritage. British actors are nothing at all like ancient Greeks. Even modern Greeks are very different culturally and genetically… https://www.nature.com/articles/nature23310