For more than two centuries and counting, the genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has remained indisputable—radiant, vibrant, almost insolent in the way it refuses to dim over time. His alleged rivalry with Antonio Salieri, another respected composer of their era but far less celebrated by posterity, remains one of the most enduring controversies in culture. It’s a myth so powerful that it nearly erased Salieri’s own work from memory. And, of course, it didn’t help that he once supposedly hinted at involvement in Mozart’s premature death—a comment he spent the rest of his life trying to deny.

The 20th century embraced this legend with enthusiasm. Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus became a cultural phenomenon, and Miloš Forman’s Oscar-winning film cemented it as irresistible canon—a story built on envy, genius, ambition, and ruin. Mozart, portrayed as a brilliant, explosive man-child, became a mythic pop icon; Salieri, tormented by his own limitations, was the tragic antagonist fated to watch the heavens gift another man what he believed should have been his.

Now this story is being reborn in a new form. Sky has unveiled the full trailer for its Amadeus miniseries, and it’s fascinating to see how this reinterpretation reframes the myth for the 21st century. Will Sharpe steps into the title role, presenting a Mozart who is far more proud, ambitious, and outspoken than the impulsive prodigy of the 1984 film. In the trailer, he confronts Salieri outright for refusing to give him a standing ovation—and even mocks the older composer’s scores. It’s a posture almost befitting a rock star, which echoes the disruptive way Mozart moved through 18th-century Vienna.

Paul Bettany, meanwhile, brings gravitas and precision to Salieri. In Forman’s film, Salieri is consumed by a quiet, devout envy; here, that obsession seems ready to take on even sharper, more explicit contours—a man whose faith is shaken simply by the intolerable brilliance of another.

The series is written by Joe Barton (Giri/Haji, Black Doves) and positions itself as a direct reimagining of Shaffer’s award-winning play. Barton promises to expand and interrogate this mythologized rivalry, emphasizing that much of the tension between the two composers was fictionalized for dramatic effect. But myths endure because they’re irresistible—and this one remains as mesmerizing as ever.

The trailer leans into this exuberant energy, presenting Vienna with almost pop sensibilities. The result looks even more vibrant and provocative than the film—a reinterpretation that embraces the color and chaos of a genius who, for centuries, refused to conform.

The official synopsis reinforces this direction: when 25-year-old Amadeus arrives in Vienna—no longer a child prodigy, hungry for creative freedom—his life becomes entangled with Constanze Weber (Gabrielle Creevy) and the devout court composer Antonio Salieri. What begins as professional rivalry evolves into a deeply personal obsession spanning three decades, culminating in that iconic confession of murder—one of the great dramatic inventions of the last century.

The supporting cast includes Rory Kinnear as Emperor Joseph, Lucy Cohu, Jonathan Aris, Ényì Okoronkwo, and Jessica Alexander, among others, who add prestige to the production. Episodes are directed by Julian Farino and Alice Seabright, with a UK premiere set for December 21, 2025. No US release date has been announced yet.

If Amadeus has always been a story about faith, talent, vanity, and destruction—the perfect ingredients for any masterpiece—this new version arrives with the challenge of navigating those themes under a contemporary spotlight. And honestly? With Sharpe and Bettany at the center, and a trailer already brimming with personality, I won’t resist: I need to see how they retell this divine duel between two men and a God who may have simply been impatient.