The Tudor drama is set in 1535.
Watch on Deadline
Im kind of used to it, admits Straughan.
It happens all the time to varying degrees, and Im okay with working within practical parameters.
You work out how to get around the problem of that scene having to be removed.
It was the same with [the first] Wolf Hall to some extent.
There were some scenes that we just couldnt afford to do.
There was a great scene with them on on board a ship sailing.
It was just hugely expensive to do for one scene.
There were more with the Mirror and the Light, partly because its a bigger canvas.
There were more characters, continued Straughan.
There were more storylines.
For example, theres a character, Wyatt, who is in Wolf Hall.
But Callender promises the plot didnt suffer as a result of tighter purse strings.
Job one was to still chronicle the emotional journey of Cromwell who multiple century spoiler alert!
was ultimately beheaded by the king.
Whats interesting is he doesnt know whether hes going to die or not, explains Callender.
And thats the drama he doesnt know.
I mean, we may know, but he doesnt know.
He doesnt know the consequences of what his decisions are.
Why didnt I give up?
Because Im an obstinate bastard, Callender tells Deadline.
The first series was so wonderfully received.
It wouldve seemed crazy not to actually complete the season.
And we wanted to honor Hillary Mantel, particularly after she passed in 2022.
It was absolutely the right thing to do, and we all wanted to do it.
So we had to shoot in the off season around the tourists.
Then on top of that, we had to juggle everybodys availability.
We wanted to bring back the whole cast.
So it was a bit of a four- dimensional chess game to try and pull all the pieces together.
It was directed by Peter Kosminsky.
