Sir Ben Kingsley Will Star in Spike’s ‘Tut’

Sir Ben Kingsley Joins Tut
Sir Ben Kingsley – Photo © Richard Chavez

Filming will begin later this year on Spike TV’s event series Tut and it’ll be with Sir Ben Kingsley in a starring role. Shooting will take place on location in Morocco and Canada, with Spike eyeing a 2015 debut of the series that marks its re-entry into scripted event series after an eight-year break.

Kingsley will play Ay, the “Grand Vizier to King Tutankhamun who wields tremendous power and influence as the top advisor to the young Egyptian ruler.”

Announcing Kingsley’s casting, Spike TV’s Executive Vice President, Original Series Sharon Levy stated, “Tut is the biggest and most ambitious project in Spike’s history. Who better to lead the cast than one of the greatest actors of our generation — Ben Kingsley. The character he plays, Ay, is the true power behind the Tutankhamun throne. We are so fortunate to have an actor of Ben Kingsley’s stature bring this character to life for Spike.”

“We are confident that Ben Kingsley’s talents will help elevate this fascinating six-hour limited series to the highest international levels,” added Michael Prupas, CEO of Muse Entertainment. “Kingsley’s acting experience will enhance this drama about Tutankhamun, the boy-king of Ancient Egypt, in a way that has never been told before.”

Tut will be directed by David Von Ancken with Michael Vickerman, Peter Paige, and Bradley Bredeweg penning the series. Joel S. Rice, Michael Prupas, Greg Gugliotta, Michael Vickerman, Jeremy Elice, Angela Mancuso, and Sharon Levy are on board as executive producers.