Wolf Hall reveals first look at season 2: The Mirror and the Light

The slew of new images (dotted throughout this article) show plenty of the main players in action, as we get glimpses of Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Rafe Sadler and Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour, to name a few.

It's safe to say that Wolf Hall is one of the most acclaimed history dramas of its time, and with the first season airing back in 2015, fans have been waiting patiently for the next instalment.

The good news is that plenty of the main cast from season 1 are reprising their roles - with the likes of Harriet Walter, Timothy Spall and Harry Melling all new additions for the upcoming episodes.

This new season is based on the final novel in Hilary Mantel’s multi award-winning trilogy, and will be directed by seven-time BAFTA winner Peter Kosminsky (The Undeclared War).

It has been adapted by screenwriter Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), and is produced by Colin Callender's Playground (All Creatures Great and Small) and Company Pictures (Van der Valk).

Once again, the series will follow politician Thomas Cromwell, played by Academy Award winner Mark Rylance.

This second season will follow the final four years of Cromwell’s life, "completing his journey from self-made man to the most feared, influential figure of his time", according to the synopsis.

It goes on: "Cromwell is as complex as he is unforgettable: a politician and a fixer, a diplomat and a father, a man who both defied and defined his age."

While the new images don't give anything away, the history on which the series is based on isn't light on the drama stakes at all - and so we're in for quite the tumultuous ride as we follow Cromwell's rise to power under the reign of King Henry VIII.

The new run kicks off in 1536 after the death of Anne Boleyn, the king's second wife, and as the third queen, Jane Seymour, ascends to the throne.

The season synopsis reads: "Cromwell, a man with only his wits to rely on, has no great family to back him, and no private army.

"Navigating the moral complexities that accompany the exercise of power in this brutal and bloody time, Cromwell is caught between his desire to do what is right and his instinct to survive. But in the wake of Henry VIII having executed his queen, no one is safe.

"Despite rebellion at home, traitors plotting abroad and the threat of invasion testing Henry’s regime to breaking point, Cromwell’s robust imagination sees a new country in the mirror of the future.

"All of England lies at his feet, ripe for innovation and religious reform. But as fortune’s wheel turns, Cromwell’s enemies are gathering in the shadows.

"The inevitable question remains: how long can anyone survive under Henry’s cruel and capricious gaze?"

Further casting for the series includes Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary, Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, Harriet Walter as Lady Margaret Pole, Harry Melling as Thomas Wriothesley, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Rafe Sadler, Timothy Spall as the Duke of Norfolk, Alex Jennings as Stephen Gardiner and Charlie Rowe as Gregory Cromwell.

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At the time of the second season announcement last year, director Kosminsky said: "The Mirror and the Light picks up exactly where Wolf Hall ended, with the execution of Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn.

"I'm overjoyed to be able to reunite the extraordinary cast we were lucky enough to assemble for Wolf Hall, led by the brilliant Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis, with the original creative team of Gavin Finney (DOP), Pat Campbell (designer) and Joanna Eatwell (costume designer).

"We are all determined to complete what we started – and to honour the final novel written by one of the greatest literary figures of our age, Hilary Mantel."

As for when the instalment will be coming to our screens, we'll just have to bide our time for announcements - but with filming having now wrapped, we can anticipate further exciting details in due course.

Wolf Hall season 2 will be coming soon, while season 1 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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