It’s Official: Damian Lewis Is Henry VIII in ‘Wolf Hall’ and ‘Bring Up the Bodies’ Miniseries UPDATED

UPDATE: It’s been confirmed that former “Homeland” star Damian Lewis will play Henry VIII opposite top-shelf Shakespeare thespian Mark Rylance in the BBC‘s upcoming Hilary Mantel adaptations “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up the Bodies.”

The series is set to air on BBC2 next year — no word yet on a stateside air date, though it’s a co-production with PBS.

EARLIER: Now that Damian Lewis is Nick Brody no more, the former “Homeland” star is heading to “Wolf Hall.” The PBS-BBC drama is a six-part TV adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s novels, “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up the Bodies.” Lewis is in talks to star as Henry VIII.

Fine Shakespearean actor Mark Rylance is already on board, playing the King’s ruthless counselor Thomas Cromwell. Meanwhile, Peter Kominsky (“White Oleander,” 1992’s “Wuthering Heights”) is helming the series, while Peter Straughan (one half of the Oscar-nominated writing duo of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”) is penning.

Lewis also has Werner Herzog’s “Queen of the Desert,” starring Nicole Kidman as writer-archaeologist Gertrude Bell and Robert Pattinson as T.E. Lawrence, in the works, shooting in Morocco.