'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light' with Mark Rylance to begin production

Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Mark Rylance will return to star in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, a sequel to the series Wolf Hall.

BBC announced in a press release Monday that Rylance and Damian Lewis will reprise their roles as Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII in the show.

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is based on the final novel in Hilary Mantel's historical fiction book series. The sequel will begin production shortly and air on BBC One in the United Kingdom and PBS Masterpiece in the United States.

Peter Straughan and Peter Kosminsky will return as writer and director, with Colin Callender's Playground and Company Pictures as producers.

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light "will trace the final four years of Cromwell's life, completing his journey from self-made man to the most feared, influential figure of his time. 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."

Returning cast members also include Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour and Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary.

"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 or 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," Kosminsky said in a statement.

The original Wolf Hall premiered in 2015 and was nominated for eight awards at the Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series.