‘Downton Abbey’ star joins cast of BBC’s new ‘King Lear’

Emmy Award nominated actor Jim Carter will star alongside Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson in the BBC’s upcoming adaptation of King Lear.

The Dresser director Richard Eyre’s modern retelling of Shakespeare’s play will be set in a fictional present, starring Hopkins as the eponymous ruler, presiding over a totalitarian military dictatorship in England.

Jim Carter, best known for his role as Mr Carson in all six seasons of Downton Abbey, will play the Earl of Kent in King Lear.

The cast also includes Jim Broadbent (Game of Thrones), Andrew Scott (Sherlock), Emily Watson (The Theory Of Everything), Christopher Eccleston (The Leftovers) and Florence Pugh (Lady Macbeth).

The Controller of BBC Drama, Piers Wenger, previously commented: “Richard Eyre has assembled an unmissable cast to embody his vision for a timeless but deeply resonant screen adaptation of King Lear.”

Downton Abbey: The Complete Collection is available to buy now.

The Downton Abbey movie is expected to begin production early next year.

King Lear is filming now and will premiere in the UK on BBC Two and in the US on Amazon Prime Video in 2018.