Helen Mirren Will Star in HBO's Catherine the Great Miniseries

Helen Mirren will star in the titular role in the four-part HBO/Sky miniseries Catherine the Great, according to Deadline. Mirren also executive produces the project, which is written by Nigel Williams and directed by Philip Martin. The series is set to begin filming later this year.

The series will explore the reign of the most powerful female monarch in history, who was in power throughout Russia for almost half of the 18th century. The series will follow Catherine during the end of her reign, while she had an affair with Grigory Potemkin.

"I am very excited by the possibility of embodying a woman from history who grabbed and then wielded great power," Mirren said. "She rewrote the rules of governance by a woman, and succeeded to the extent of having the word Great attached to her name, Catherine the Great."

Catherine the Great will air on HBO in the U.S. and will arrive in Canada via Bell Media. It will air on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK and Ireland next year, and on Sky Atlantic in Italy, Germany, Austria and Spain.

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Photo Credit: Walter McBride