Shardlake on Hulu: Release date, cast, plot, and everything we know so far

Hulu is coming up with a brand new historical crime drama, Shardlake, which is set to debut on the streaming platform this Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Based on the novel series of the same name written by C.J. Sansom, the story is set in 16th-century England, during the reign of Henry VIII.

It follows the titular lawyer, Matthew Shardlake, whose life takes a dramatic turn when Thomas Cromwell sends him to investigate a mysterious death at the remote Scarnsea monastery. As the lawyer gets involved in the case, he uncovers a world of deception, deceit, and corruption, realizing that the murder is just the beginning of something more dangerous and sinister.

When is Shardlake season 1 releasing?

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Season 1 is scheduled for release on May 1, 2024. The crime series will be dropping all four episodes on Hulu; however, the release schedule is going to be different according to geographical regions.

Pacific Time (PT)- USA & Canada: May 1, 2024, 12:00 AM
Eastern Time (ET)- USA & Canada: May 1, 2024, 3:00 AM
Mountain Time (MT) - USA & Canada: May 1, 2024, 1:00 AM
Central Time (CT) - USA & Canada: May 1, 2024, 2:00 AM
Atlantic Time (AT) - Canada: May 1, 2024, 4:00 AM
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): May 1, 2024, 8:00 AM
Central European Time (CET): May 1, 2024, 9:00 AM
Eastern European Time (EET): May 1, 2024, 10:00 AM
India Standard Time (IST): May 1, 2024,1:30 PM
China Standard Time (CST): May 1, 2024, 4:00 PM
Japan Standard Time (JST): May 1, 2024, 5:00 PM
Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST): May 1, 2024, 6:00 PM

Where to watch the series?

Shardlake will be available to stream only on the Hulu streaming platform. Viewers will require a subscription to access the content. The streaming services offer subscriptions at various rates, such as $7.99/month or $79.99/year for the ad-supported plan and $17.99/month for the ad-free plan, respectively.

Who stars in the series? Cast details explored

Shardlake stars Arthur Hughes as the titular character, Matthew Shardlake. Arthur Hughes is a British actor who is best known for his roles as Ryan McDaniel in the Netflix series The Innocents and Ruairi Donovan in the BBC Radio 4 series The Archers. He has also starred in Then Barbara Met Alan (2022), and Help (2021).

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Hughes is joined by Anthony Boyle as Jack Barak. Barak is an Irish actor who has worked in numerous Broadway productions. He has also appeared in films like Tolkien (2019), Tetris (2023), the miniseries The Plot Against America (2020), and Masters of the Air (2024).

Sean Bean also stars in Shardlake as Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's Chief Minister. Bean is an English actor who has appeared in movies like Patriot Games (1992), GoldenEye (1995), Ronin (1998), The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003), National Treasure (2004), Troy (2004), and The Martian (2015). His television roles include Game of Thrones, Henry VIII, and Legends.

Joining in supporting roles are the following actors:

Babou Ceesay as Abbot Fabian
Paul Kaye as Brother Jerome
Ruby Ashbourne Serkis as Alice
Peter Firth as Norfolk
Matthew Steer as Goodhap
Brian Vernel as Brother Mortimus
Irfan Shamji as Brother Guy
David Pearse as Brother Edwig

Plot and trailer explored

Hulu released an official synopsis as well as a trailer on April 10, 2024, for the series.

"Drenched in mystery, suspense, and deception, this four-part drama, based on the first novel in CJ Sansom's internationally popular Tudor murder mystery series, is an eerie whodunit adventure, set in 16th century England during the dissolution of the monasteries. Shardlake's sheltered life as a lawyer is turned upside down when Cromwell instructs him to investigate the murder of one of his commissioners at a monastery in the remote town of Scarnsea," the synopsis reads.

It continues,

"The commissioner was gathering evidence to close the monastery and it is now imperative for Cromwell's own political survival that Shardlake both solves the murder and closes the monastery. He leaves Shardlake in no doubt that failure is not an option. Cromwell insists that he is accompanied by Jack Barak to Scarnsea, where the duo are met with hostility, suspicion and paranoia by the monks who fear for their future and will seemingly stop at nothing to preserve their order."

With Shardlake becoming entangled in a web of lies, not only his integrity but also his life are at risk now. Directed by Justin Chadwick and starring Arthur Hughes and Sean Bean in the lead roles, the Hulu thriller is coming soon.