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The Big Picture

• Paul Bettany joins Sky's Amadeus as the notorious Salieri, rival to Mozart, adding depth to the iconic rivalry with a nuanced portrayal.
• Bettany's range from Vision in WandaVision to Duke of Argyll in A Very British Scandal hints at his perfect fit for Salieri's complex character.
• Showcasing Salieri's inner conflict, Amadeus explores jealousy and ambition in the world of classical music with award-winning potential.

Paul Bettany is the latest to join the cast of Sky’s television series, Amadeus. Variety reports that the Marvel actor has been cast as infamous composer Antonio Salieri, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s most famous rival. This casting follows news that the titular composer will be played by Will Sharpe in the limited series. The actor gained significant interest in 2022 for his role in Season 2 of The White Lotus. The upcoming series will depict the rivalry between the warring composers in Vienna. The story hails from the minds of dream team Joe Barton and Julian Farino, who previously collaborated with Sharpe in Giri/Haji.

“Barton’s adaptation will expand and interrogate the mythic rivalry of the two composers,” the press release reads. “Hero of his own story but villain to history, Salieri’s envy turns vengeful as he uses any means necessary to thwart Mozart and protect his position in the establishment.”

This rivalry is so famous that it has been repeated throughout pop culture. Barton and Farino’s interpretation of compelling composers is inspired by the stage play penned by Peter Shaffer. The play was already adapted in the 1984 film, Amadeus, starring Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abraham as Mozart and Salieri, respectively. The film garnered several awards, including eight Academy Awards. The bar is high for this new endeavor, one that Bettany is excited to approach.

“I can’t wait to work with Julian Farino, Joe Barton, Sky and Will Sharpe who, for my money, is hands down the most exciting actor of his generation,” Bettany stated in a press release. The casting of the new series already inspires confidence in a project, before it has even started filming.

Paul Bettany Has the Range for ‘Amadeus’

In recent years, Bettany has gained appreciation for his portrayal of the kindest robot known to man. His role as Wanda Maximoff’s (Elizabeth Olsen) husband, Vision, in WandaVision was a heartfelt addition to a story about grief. But lest viewers forget, Vision's death scene in Infinity War is not his only claim to fame.

Bettany has had a varied career of complex characters, proving he is the right actor to play Salieri. The most recent example is his role in A Very British Scandal. Based on the scandalous real-life case, the miniseries details the inner workings of the divorce between Ian Campbell, the 11th Duke of Argyll (Bettany), and his third wife, Duchess Margaret Campbell (Claire Foy). Neither of the figures comes out clean in this depiction, but the series takes great care to show them with nuance. This role gives a hint of what is to come in Amadeus.

While Salieri is remembered for petty jealousies toward one of the most famous composers of all time, there is something inherently relatable about the figure. He devoted his life to classical music and was cast aside so easily for someone flashier, rarely to be thought of again until Shaffer’s play in 1975. This is the crux of the conflict present in this story and the Oscar-winning biopic and makes for a character that is not wholly good or evil. Bettany’s talent in such roles makes his casting the obvious choice. Amadeus is currently in pre-production and will start filming in Hungary in the spring of 2024.

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