Helen Mirren as Catherine the Great

Things We Saw Today: All Hail Empress Helen Mirren in HBO’s Catherine the Great Trailer

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Somehow I had missed the news that the extraordinary Dame Helen Mirren would be playing Catherine the Great in HBO’s eponymous miniseries. This is a stroke of brilliant casting.

Mirren is in fine form in the trailer as Catherine, the uncompromising Empress who ruled Russia from 1762 until her death in 1796. The four-part miniseries focuses on the Empress’s later years and her relationship with lover Grigory “Potemkin Villages” Potemkin, played by Brotherhood‘s Jason Clarke. “She rewrote the rules of governance by a woman,” Mirren said of Catherine’s reign.

Here’s the synopsis from HBO:

Amid scandal, intrigue and immense conflict, Russian empress Catherine the Great (Helen Mirren) develops a unique and devoted relationship with Grigory Potemkin (Jason Clarke) as they overcome their adversaries and serve as the architects of modern-day Russia

This production looks lavish and like no expenses have been spared. I love overly dramatic historical pieces and also Helen Mirren, so I am here for every part of Catherine the Great.

(via Vulture, image: HBO)

Other things viewed today:

  • In which Bitch Media reviews The Kitchen. (via Bitch Media)
  • “Woody Allen: ‘I’ve Done Everything the #MeToo Movement Would Love to Achieve’” OK go away now. Go on. Shoo. (via IndieWire)
  • You can now buy that fabulous “bi chair,” for people “who can’t sit straight.” (via PinkNews)
  • First look at The Good Place season 4!!!! (via Nerdist)
  • Patty Jenkins now has an overall deal with Netflix, which is awesome. (via Deadline)

So much IT content today! Here’s some more.

What did you see today?

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Kaila Hale-Stern
Kaila Hale-Stern (she/her) is a content director, editor, and writer who has been working in digital media for more than fifteen years. She started at TMS in 2016. She loves to write about TV—especially science fiction, fantasy, and mystery shows—and movies, with an emphasis on Marvel. Talk to her about fandom, queer representation, and Captain Kirk. Kaila has written for io9, Gizmodo, New York Magazine, The Awl, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and once published a Harlequin novel you'll never find.