July 22 (UPI) -- Helen Mirren portrays Catherine the Great in the first trailer for HBO's upcoming limited series based on the historical figure.
Mirren, in the clip released on Sunday, rules the Russian empire in the 18th century and speaks of holding absolute power.
"When I was young I dreamed of freedom, I dreamed of breaking chains," Mirren says. "But as you get older your choices narrow. So instead I gave us an empire, but I knew exactly what I was doing."
The four-part series which will premiere in the fall, will follow Catherine the Great toward the end of her reign as she has an affair with Grigory Potemkin (Jason Clarke).
Philip Martin (The Crown) directs based off a script by Nigel Williams. Mirren and Martin also serve as executive producers alongside David M. Thompson.
