Amadeus (TV series)
| Amadeus | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Genre | Historical drama |
| Based on | Amadeus by Peter Shaffer |
| Written by | Joe Barton |
| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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| Composer | Bryce Dessner |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Running time | 43–53 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Sky Atlantic |
| Release | 21 December – 25 December 2025 |
Amadeus is a 2025 British historical drama television miniseries adapted by Joe Barton from the 1979 stage play by Peter Shaffer. It gives a fictionalised account of the lives of composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, portrayed by Will Sharpe and Paul Bettany respectively, with Gabrielle Creevy portraying Mozart's wife Constanze. It is the second screen adaptation of the play, following the 1984 film. Amadeus premiered on 21 December 2025 on Sky Atlantic.
Premise
A 25-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart arrives in Vienna, Austria, during the 18th century and meets a young singer who will become his wife (Constanze Mozart) and by way of her, the court composer Antonio Salieri.[1]
Cast and characters
Main
- Will Sharpe as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Paul Bettany as Antonio Salieri
- Gabrielle Creevy as Constanze Mozart
- Jessica Alexander as Katerina
- Jonathan Aris as Leopold Mozart
- Olivia-Mai Barrett as Sophie Weber
- Lucy Cohu as Cecilia Weber
- Nancy Farino as Josepha Weber
- Anastasia Martin as Aloysia Weber
- Ényì Okoronkwo as Lorenzo Da Ponte
- Rory Kinnear as Emperor Joseph
- Jyuddah Jaymes as Franz Xaver Süssmayr
- Jack Farthing as Alexander Pushkin
Supporting
- Paul Bazely as Gottfried van Swieten
- Hugh Sachs as Von Strack
- Rupert Vansittart as Rosenberg
- Viola Prettejohn as Princess Elizabeth
Production
The project was reported to be in development in November 2022 with Two Cities Television and screenwriter Joe Barton.[2]
It was announced to be moving forward in February 2024, with Julian Farino and Alice Seabright directing from a Joe Barton script with Will Sharpe in the role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.[3] In April, Paul Bettany and Gabrielle Creevy joined the cast as Antonio Salieri and Constanze Mozart respectively.[4][5] In late May, it was announced Rory Kinnear, Lucy Cohu, Jonathan Aris, Enyi Okoronkwo, Jessica Alexander and Hugh Sachs had been cast. Also cast in undisclosed roles were Paul Bazely, Rupert Vansittart, Anastasia Martin, Nancy Farino, Olivia-Mai Barrett, Viola Prettejohn, and Jyuddah James.[6][7]
Filming took place in Budapest, Hungary, between May and September 2024.[8][9][10]
Episodes
| No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Julian Farino | Joe Barton | 21 December 2025 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Julian Farino | Joe Barton | 22 December 2025 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Julian Farino | Joe Barton | 23 December 2025 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Alice Seabright | Joe Barton | 24 December 2025 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Alice Seabright | Joe Barton | 25 December 2025 |
Release
The five-episode series premiered on 21 December 2025 on Sky Atlantic.[11][12]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 15 critics' reviews are positive.[13] Some published reviews were also positive; Pippa Bailey wrote for The New Statesman that the series was "sumptuous, highly enjoyable television".[14]
Writing for The Critic, Australian composer Alexander Voltz viewed the series less favourably, questioning its screenplay, casting and original score, and describing it as "without authentic intention".[15] Lucy Mangan, for The Guardian, was equally critical, awarding the series two stars, stating "this Mozart series is a pale, petty version of the movie it’s based on".[16]
References
- ^ Goldbart, Max (20 February 2024). "White Lotus Star Will Sharpe To Play Musical Genius Mozart For Sky". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ Goldbart, Max (2 November 2022). "Amadeus: Sky Developing Mozart Drama Series From Giri/Haji Writer Joe Barton & Patrick Melrose Producer Two Cities".
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (20 February 2024). "White Lotus Actor Will Sharpe to Play Mozart in Amadeus Drama for Sky". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ "Paul Bettany To Star Opposite Will Sharpe In Sky Limited Series Amadeus". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Goldbart, Max (30 April 2024). "Joe Barton's Mozart Series Casts Gabrielle Creevy As Musical Genius's Wife Constanze". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ Yossman, KJ (30 May 2024). "Sky's Will Sharpe Mozart Drama Adds Rory Kinnear, Lucy Cohu and More (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ "First look at Will Sharpe and Paul Bettany in Sky's spectacular reimagining of Amadeus". Sky Group. 21 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ "Sky Max Series Amadeus to Be Shot in Hungary". Film New Europe. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Amadeus Reimagined – A New Series Filmed in Budapest Brings Mozart's Genius to Life Again". Budapest Reporter. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ Barton, Joe [@JoeBarton_] (10 May 2024). "We start filming Amadeus today. When I started writing it I was younger than Mozart was when he died and now I think I'm older than Salieri and That Is Where The Comparisons Shall End" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 May 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ Kanter, Jake (14 October 2025). "Amadeus Trailer: Sky Teaser Stars Will Sharpe As "Repulsive Creature" Mozart". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
- ^ Moss, Molly (25 November 2025). "Sky's new Amadeus adaptation releases stunning first-look trailer and confirms release date". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "Amadeus: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ Bailey, Pippa (21 December 2021). "Amadeus: A Remake Actually Worth Doing". The New Statesman. Archived from the original on 8 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ Voltz, Alexander (2 January 2026). "Adulterating Amadeus". The Critic. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ Mangan, Lucy (22 December 2025). "Amadeus review – this Mozart series is a pale, petty version of the movie it's based on". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2026.