Kenneth Branagh’s new Scottish Highlands drama is bringing together an international cast of television and film stars as production continues on the major Paramount+ series.
Scottish actor Peter Mullan, House of the Dragon star Phia Saban and Holliday Grainger, known for The Capture, are among seven actors joining Branagh in Laird, which has been filming at locations across Scotland.
The series, set in the modern Highlands, follows a Scottish landowner fighting to protect his ancestral estate from a powerful American billionaire determined to buy up the surrounding glens.
Oscar-winning actor Branagh plays the Laird of the fictional Castle Drummoch, while Peter Sarsgaard, whose credits include The Batman and Presumed Innocent, takes the role of his billionaire rival Peter Bergstrom.
The cast also includes Jennifer Ehle, who starred in Contagion and Pride & Prejudice, Douglas Hodge from Joker, Ruaridh Mollica, who recently starred in Disney+ series VisionQuest, and Corey Mylchreest, who played King George III in Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Further details of their characters have yet to be announced.
Filming began in Scotland earlier this year, with Aberdeen city centre becoming a location for several scenes during September.
Production crews occupied premises around George Street and Loch Street, while Denburn multi-storey car park was temporarily closed to accommodate filming.
The production returned to Aberdeen in late October, with crews and equipment spotted around the former Woolmanhill Hospital.
Activity was also reported around Spa Street, Raeburn Place and Gilcomston Park, with temporary road restrictions introduced for the shoot.
Elsewhere, Aldourie Castle on the banks of Loch Ness has been used for filming. The historic Highland property, near Dores, is owned by Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen.
The project is being developed by Jez Butterworth, whose television credits include MobLand and The Agency, alongside John-Henry Butterworth and Georgia Lee.
Director Joe Wright, whose films include Atonement, Pride & Prejudice and Darkest Hour, is directing the pilot episode.
Laird is being produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios, the company behind Yellowstone.
Branagh, who won an Academy Award for his semi-autobiographical film Belfast, is also serving as an executive producer.
Paramount+ has described the drama as an epic family saga involving feuds, buried secrets and romance, with the battle over land and wealth at the centre of the story.
Jane Wiseman, head of originals for Paramount+, previously described it as the story of “one man standing his ground against unchecked wealth and power”.
The series is expected to continue production into 2027, with filming also taking place in London.
Paramount+ has confirmed that Laird will be released exclusively on its streaming platform worldwide, although a premiere date has not yet been announced.