‘Game Of Thrones’ Charles Dance To Narrate Netflix Docu-Drama ‘Rise of Empires: Ottoman’ As Streamer Sets Premiere Date

Peter White

EXCLUSIVE: Game of Thrones star Charles Dance is to narrate Netflix docu-drama Rise of Empires: Ottoman. The six-part series launches on the streaming service on January 24.

Formerly known as Ottoman Rising, the series is produced by STXtelevision, which was behind Nat Geo’s Valley of the Boom, and Red Arrow Studios’ Karga Seven Pictures.

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Dance, who recently starred as Lord Mountbatten in the third season of The Crown, will provide narration in the original English-language-version of the show.

Shot in Turkey, Rise of Empires: Ottoman tells the epic 15th-century story of Mehmed II, known as Mehmed the Conqueror, chronicling his astonishing and fabled rise from 13-year-old Child Sultan to toppling Constantinople and becoming the ruler of the Ottoman Empire.

The cast features Tommaso Basili (Emperor Constantine XI), Cem Yi̇ği̇t Üzümoğlu (Sultan Mehmed II), Tuba Büyüküstün (Mara Hatun), Bi̇rkan Sokullu (Giovanni Giustiniani Longo), Seli̇m Bayraktar (Çandarli Halil Paşa), Osman Sonant (Loukas Notaras), Tolga Teki̇n (Sultan Murad II), Ushan Çakır (Zaganos Paşa), Damla Sönmez (Ana), Tansu Bi̇çer (Orban) and İlayda Akdoğan (Therma Sphrantzes).

The series is executive produced by Sarah Wetherbee, Kelly McPherson and Emre Sahin of Karga Seven Pictures, and Jada Miranda of STXtv. The series is written by Liz Lake, Kelly McPherson and Emre Sahin, and directed by Emre Sahin. The series also features historians including Roger Crowley and Jason Goodwin.

Sarah Wetherbee, Founding Partner of Karga Seven Pictures, said, “The Ottoman era is a fascinating period of history, and from the very beginning we knew we wanted to use a combination of strong documentary narrative and epic scripted to tell this story. With Karga having such a well-established production base in Istanbul, filming in Turkey has enabled us to produce the lavish, high-end series we wanted to make, and it has been great to partner with STX and Netflix to bring the show to life.”

STXtv’s EVP and Head of Scripted Television Jada Miranda added, “At STX, we are most attracted to stories that bridge the world’s divides, and this story from the past gives an exciting and thrilling perspective on a collision of cultures that we’re still seeing today. We’re thrilled to have partnered with Karga Seven and Netflix to bring this cinematic story to life for audiences around the globe.”

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