What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Hollow Crown
Series · 2012
If you loved The Hollow Crown, start with Henry V (Kenneth Branagh, 1989) — a film from the same story. Below: 3 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Hollow Crown across media.
What hooked you in The Hollow Crown was the way the crushing weight of royal duty collides with ruthless, intimate political betrayal.
Start with the source
The source
Henry V
Kenneth Branagh · Film · 1989
Adaptation
Chimes at Midnight
Orson Welles · Film · 1965
Adaptation
My Own Private Idaho
Film · 1991
Books on the same thread
Shakespeare's History of King Henry the Eighth
William Shakespeare · Book · 2015
Shares 2 threads with The Hollow Crown: Succession, Historical Drama.
If you appreciated the Shakespearean language and court maneuvering in The Hollow Crown, this play offers a direct look at the power and betrayal defining the Tudor monarchy's historical foundation.
Bring Up the Bodies
Hilary Mantel · Book · 2012
Explores: Machiavellian politics, Court intrigue, Rise and fall of power.
Mantel mirrors the Machiavellian political intrigue found in The Hollow Crown, focusing on the precarious rise and fall of power within the brutal, high-stakes environment of the Tudor royal court.
The White Princess
Philippa Gregory · Book · 2013
Shares 2 threads with The Hollow Crown: Political Intrigue, Power Struggles.
The Hollow Crown excels at depicting the personal cost of succession, and this novel continues that exploration through a queen navigating revenge and power struggles within her forced marriage.
Films on the same thread
Henry V
Kenneth Branagh · Film · 1989
Shares 3 threads with The Hollow Crown: Kingship, Shakespearean Adaptation, Historical Drama.
This film provides a cinematic companion to The Hollow Crown, exploring the same themes of kingship and the heavy moral burden of leadership during the medieval Hundred Years' War.
The King
David Michôd · Film · 2019
Shares 3 threads with The Hollow Crown: Political Intrigue, Historical Drama, Shakespearean Adaptation.
Fans of The Hollow Crown will recognize the internal conflict of a reluctant monarch forced to balance duty against desire amid the political intrigue of the fifteenth century.
The Lion in Winter
Film · 1968
Shares a thread with The Hollow Crown: Political Intrigue.
This film captures the same intense focus on royal succession and dysfunctional family dynamics that fuels the power struggles in The Hollow Crown, highlighting the volatility of the throne.
Ran
Film · 1985
Explores: Betrayal, Power dynamics, Family conflict.
By transposing a Shakespearean tragedy to feudal Japan, this epic captures the same themes of betrayal and crumbling power structures that define the historical dramas of The Hollow Crown.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
If The Hollow Crown hit, The Archers shares the thread.
Revolutions
Mike Duncan · Podcast · 2025
Explores: societal collapse, power dynamics, cyclical history.
If The Hollow Crown hit, Revolutions shares the thread.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What order should I watch The Hollow Crown in?
The Hollow Crown adapts William Shakespeare's history plays. You should watch the films in the order of the historical events depicted, beginning with Richard II, followed by Henry IV parts one and two, and concluding with Henry V.
Are there other film adaptations similar to The Hollow Crown?
Yes, if you enjoyed the Shakespearean themes in The Hollow Crown, you can watch the 1989 version of Henry V, Orson Welles' 1965 film Chimes at Midnight, or Gus Van Sant's 1991 movie My Own Private Idaho, which is loosely based on Shakespeare's Henry IV.
Is The Hollow Crown a single movie or a series?
The Hollow Crown is a series of British television films produced in 2012. It features multiple Shakespearean history plays adapted for the screen, rather than being a single feature-length movie production.
How long is The Hollow Crown series?
The Hollow Crown consists of a series of television films that adapt several of William Shakespeare's history plays. Because it is an anthology of multiple distinct film adaptations, the total runtime depends on how many of the individual play adaptations you choose to watch.