Watch: First Look at 'The Musketeers' with ‘Skins’’ Luke Pasqualino, ‘Merlin’s’ Santiago Cabrera and ‘Doctor Who’s’ Peter Capaldi
The adaptation stars several familiar British faces in the lead roles and looks like it’s going to be well worth our time next year. Skins star Luke Pasqualino (who played fan favorite Freddie) leads the cast as D’Artagnan, and is joined by Merlin’s Santiago Cabrera as Aramis, The Hour’s Tom Burke as Athos and theater actor Howard Charles as Porthos. And, in what’s probably the most intriguing bit of casting – Doctor Who’s brand new Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi will be playing the villainous Cardinal Richelieu. How fun is that going to be.
Get more details and watch the first trailer for this new series below.
Per the official BBC media center synopsis: The Musketeers is set on the streets of seventeenth century Paris, where law and order is more an idea than reality. More than King Louis XIII’s personal bodyguards, Athos, Aramis and Porthos stand resolutely for social justice, for honor, for valor, for love – and for the thrill of it.
D’Artagnan, a skilled fighter from rural Gascony, meets the three Musketeers while on a mission to right the wrong of his father’s death. Although he meets the men in unfortunate circumstances, he finds kindred spirits in the other soldiers. Athos, who has rejected his noble roots to become a Musketeer, quickly befriends D’Artagnan, but has a past which is shrouded in mystery, and is prone to getting in trouble.
Porthos is a larger-than-life character, who has come from humble beginnings to become a solider in the most elite regiment in the land, finding a family in the other Musketeers. Never short of admirers, Aramis has an effortless charm which leads him in and out of love. Despite this, he is a shrewd pragmatist who is a ferocious in battle and commands a key place in the brotherhood.
Constance Bonacieux (Kari) leads a dull but comfortable life married to a cloth merchant, but her life is turned upside down when D’Artagnan tumbles into her world, and she becomes involved with The Musketeers.
Cardinal Richelieu (Capaldi), while striving to achieve his vision of a thoroughly modern France, is a shadowy character who will stop at nothing to achieve his objectives. Milady (McCoy) is the Cardinal’s secret weapon, the most mysterious and beautiful of villains whose motives are often concealed.
The King relies on the advice of The Cardinal, his shrewd wife Queen Anne and also Captain Treville (Speer), the brave and respected commander of The Musketeers who keeps an eye on the soldiers to ensure they stay out of trouble. The series bursts with escapism, adventure and romance and is set to thrill audiences with cracking stories every week.
As you can see, The Musketeers looks quite dramatic – from the constant string of explosions and gunfire, to the tumultuous relationships, to the feisty and probably not-quite-period-appropriate female characters. But it also looks like great fun, particularly Capaldi’s sinister-looking Richelieu, who looks awesome.
The Musketeers is currently set to transmit on BBC One in January, and will air here in the States on BBC America later in 2014. It’s already on my must-see list, how about you?
