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HBO Joins BBC to Adapt Ava Pickett’s West End Play 1536

The project pairs Pickett as showrunner with director Molly Manners and Drama Republic producing to turn a feminist Tudor tale into a television series.

Overview

  • The announcement Wednesday confirmed HBO has boarded the BBC’s television adaptation of Ava Pickett’s play 1536, expanding the project’s U.S. reach.
  • Pickett will serve as the series’ writer, showrunner, and an executive producer while Molly Manners is set to direct and also executive produce.
  • Drama Republic, a Mediawan Group company, will produce the show with multiple executive producers named for Drama Republic and the BBC.
  • 1536 follows three working-class women in Tudor England whose lives are reshaped by the arrest and execution of Anne Boleyn and explores themes of patriarchy, friendship, and social change.
  • Key production details remain unannounced and disputed in reporting, with outlets variously describing the series as six or eight episodes and no casting, filming schedule, or release date confirmed.