Max Irons, Sam Neill to star in ITV drama 'Tutankhamun'

LONDON, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Max Irons and Sam Neill are to star in the four-part, television drama Tutankhamun, ITV announced.

Irons will play archaeologist Howard Carter, who in the early 20th century discovered the tomb of one of Ancient Egypt's forgotten pharaohs, the boy-king Tutankhamun, while Neill will play "the dashing and eccentric Lord Carnarvon, who keeps faith with Carter and continues to back his expeditions when no one else will," press notes said.

The series was penned by Guy Burt. Filming is scheduled to start in South Africa in mid-October.

Irons' credits include the film Woman in Gold and the TV series The White Queen. He is the 29-year-old son of acting couple Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack.

Neill, 68, starred in the blockbuster Jurassic Park and the small-screen dramas Peaky Blinders and The Tudors.