The BBC has announced through a press release that beloved character actor Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing a young Rassilon in a spin-off of the long running Doctor Who series. The new series, Gallifrey, will tell the origin story behind Rassilon’s rise to prominence in the Citadel in the years before the Doctor’s arrival. Doctor Who show runner Steven Moffat will once again be one of the main writers, with Mark Gatiss as official show runner and head writer.
Cumberbatch went on record, saying, “To play in the Doctor’s toy box is every young man’s dream, to be playing Rassilon, well… let’s just say that I’m very excited. I’ll be working with my friends Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss again, and for that I am thrilled. This series will be full of surprises, and it will be exciting dispelling some of the mystery built up over the years surrounding the Doctor’s home planet.”
Moffat said, “If you think we’ve done a great job on Doctor Who, just wait until you see Gallifrey! We are very excited to tell the back story of the Doctor’s home world, delving into how the Time Lords came to be, and showing the Doctor’s earliest days, but this is definitely Rassilon’s story, first and foremost. It is a pleasure working with Benedict again, and his performance is sure to surprise his many fans.”
Gatiss continued, “What Steven said.”
As originally conceived, the series would have served as a straightforward story of Rassilon’s early days, his development of the technology that allowed Time Lords to travel through space and time, up to his taking over as the first Lord President. The idea evolved not only to include the Doctor character, but will also tell the origin stories of several of the Doctor’s villains and friends, including Omega, the Master, the Rani, Borusa, Morbius, Azmael, Romana, and even Professor Chronotis.
Gallifrey is to begin filming in Wales in the Spring for a Fall premiere.
Editor’s Note: April Fools!
