Beloved British actor Ewan McGregor’s next project will see him star as Count Alexander Rostov in an adaptation of the best-selling novelA Gentleman in Moscow.
Fresh off his titular role in theDisney Plus seriesObi-Wan Kenobi, McGregor (Trainspotting,Black Hawk Down,Doctor Sleep) has now set his eyes on another streaming series titledA Gentleman in Moscow, which is set to release on Showtime in the U.S. andParamount Plusinternationally. The series is based on the 2016 best-selling novelA Gentleman in Moscowby Amor Towles, whose last novelThe Lincoln Highwaywas one of the most acclaimed books of last year.
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McGregor will play Count Alexander Rostov, a fictional Russian noble who has spent decades living abroad. When he returns to Moscow during the Bolshevik Revolution, his aristocratic background makes him a target of the communists. “Spared immediate execution, he is banished by a Soviet tribunal to an attic room in the opulent Hotel Metropol, threatened with death if he ever sets foot outside again," The official plot description of the series states. “As the years pass and some of the most tumultuous decades inRussian history unfold outsidethe hotel’s doors, Rostov’s reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery. As he builds a new life within the walls of the hotel, he discovers the true value of friendship, family and love.”
The actor, who also serves as an executive producer, said in a statement, “It’s an amazing, wonderful story, and I am very excited to get to play such a fabulous role.” Executive producer Tom Harper, who helped inked the deal, also said, “The book is a rare and delicious treat, and I fell in love with it the moment I picked it up six years ago. We are thrilled that Amor entrusted this brilliant team with bringing the Metropol to life and couldn’t be more delighted that Ewan will be playing the Count.” Ben Vanstone will serve as showrunner and executive producer for the series.
Vanstone’s past credits include writing forAll Creatures Great and SmallandThe Last Kingdom. Also serving as executive producer are Tom Harper, who previously directed several episodes ofWar & PeaceandPeaky Blinders; Xavier Marchand, best known for producingMrs. Harris Goes to Parisand the Daniel Radcliffe horror filmThe Woman in Black; McGregor;and the author of the source novel Amor Towles. The series is expected to receive a Paramount Plus premiere in 2023 in the U.K., and in other territories later.
