Charlie Hunnam's Apple series 'Shantaram' gets release date, first look
Apple TV+ has announced a 12-episode drama series starring Charlie Hunnam, titled Shantaram. It is based on author Gregory David Roberts's bestselling 2003 book of the same name. The announcement comes after the series reportedly went into production in 2021 after almost getting shelved due to a lack of scripts. Now, Apple has booked a debut date, assuring the series will premiere soon!
Why does this story matter?
After a long and troubled history, the project will finally get to see the light of day soon. During the early 2000s, Shantaram was all the rage among Hollywood producers and writers. Warner Bros. bought the rights to Roberts's book in 2004, and actor Johnny Depp was to star in its big-screen adaptation. However, that and several other attempts didn't go through until now.
Series follows life of a fugitive on the run
The upcoming series Shantaram follows a fugitive Lin Ford (Hunnam), who is on the run after escaping from a maximum-security prison in Australia. Ford disguises himself as a doctor and blends into the slums of Mumbai in the 1980s, but he soon crosses paths with a local mafia boss. Desperate to avoid his old troubles in his new life, he eventually fights back.
Antonia Desplat's Karla will appear as Ford's love interest
In addition to Hunnam, the series will also star actor Antonia Desplat who will essay the role of Karla, an intriguing woman who leaves Ford puzzled between freedom and love. Actors Shubham Saraf, Elektra Kilbey, Fayssal Bazzi, Luke Pasqualino, Alyy Khan, Sujaya Dasgupta, Vincent Perez, David Field, Alexander Siddig, Gabrielle Scharnitzky, Elham Ehsas, Rachel Kamath, Matthew Joseph and Shiv Palekar will play prominent roles.
Hunnam's first look from 'Shantaram' as Lin Ford
Release date, weekly schedule, other details
The much-awaited series will debut on Apple TV+ exclusively on October 14 with three episodes first. After that, new episodes will drop every week on Friday through December 16. Despite the many attempts made to bring the novel to life, Apple TV+'s format of the adaptation as a series will be more pliant to the novel's narrative, which spans more than 900 pages.
