Helen Mirren to play titular in HBO miniseries Catherine the Great

According to a report in Variety, veteran actor Helen Mirren will be portraying the role of Russian monarch Catherine in a new HBO miniseries.

Mirren will be playing the 18th-century Russian monarch in the four-part project titled "Catherine the Great."

The shooting is set to commence later this year.

"I am very excited by the possibility of embodying a woman from history who grabbed and then wielded great power," said Mirren.

Written by Nigel Williams and directed by Philip, Catherine the Great will follow Catherine toward the end of her reign and her passionate affair with Grigory Potemkin.

David M Thompson, Charlie Pattinson, Mirren and Martin will executive produce the show.

(With PTI inputs)