‘The Great’ Rewrites Russian History Of Catherine The Great

Hulu’s interpretation of the Russian royals Hulu teamed up with the writer known for his work for “The Favourite” Tony McNamara to rewrite a comedic spin on the Russian...

(Photo: Hulu)

Hulu’s interpretation of the Russian royals

Hulu teamed up with the writer known for his work for “The Favourite” Tony McNamara to rewrite a comedic spin on the Russian royals, Emperor Peter and Catherine The Great. ‘The Great’ will feature a star-studded cast including Nicholas Hoult as Emperor Peter and Elle Fanning as Catherine The Great for a comedic-inspired version of Russian history.

The production style is being compared to Sofia Cappola’s “Marie Antoinette” movie featuring opulent and luxurious styles with an added touch of humanity. One scene shows Catherine going to visit the soldiers on the battlefield during the war against Sweden adorned in jewels and fur in a muddy field with bloodied soldiers covered in mud.

During the battlefield scene, Catherine brings macarons for the soldiers only to realize some of them don’t have fingers so she has to hand feed them. It’s kind of a twist on Marie Antoinette’s infamous catchphrase “let them eat cake.”

Catherine is later embarrassed by her actions and has a realization that she wants to do something impactful to truly help Russia. “The Great” has watchers empathizing for Catherine and cringing over the monster that is Emporer Peter without losing sight of how horrible they can be.

The comedic chemistry between Hoult and Fanning is witty with perfect comedic timing with the actors portraying the characters with style and accuracy. Though the plot and cast are winning fans over, some are tuning out with a longer runtime than anticipated.

“The Great” surrounds a plot that is about pointless wealth and excessive luxury so it might seem fitting that there is an excessively long narrative. Another aspect that some people are questioning is the historical accuracy but it seems that series isn’t too concerned over it.

That being said, if you’re looking to learn more about these Russian royals for homework you probably should turn to a textbook. But if you’re looking for a new comedy series to have a laugh, then check it out on Hulu starting May 15.