Paramount+ Scottish Highland Drama 'Laird' Announces Additional Casting

PARAMOUNT+ SCOTTISH HIGHLAND DRAMA LAIRD ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL CASTING

Jennifer Ehle, Peter Mullan, Phia Saban, Ruaridh Mollica, Holliday Grainger, Douglas Hodge, and Corey Mylchreest Join Cast

From Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Georgia Lee, Laird is Produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios

(From L to R: Jennifer Ehle, PC: UK Telegraph; Peter Mullan, PC: Rankin; Phia Saban, PC: Milly Cope; Ruaridh Mollica, PC: Ryan Michael Price; Holliday Grainger, PC: Lara Jade; Douglas Hodge, PC: Eyevine; Corey Mylchreest, PC: Harry Livingstone)

• OCTOBER 15, 2026 - Additional casting was announced today for the new Paramount+ Scottish Highland drama, Laird, which is currently filming in Scotland and London.

• Joining the cast are Jennifer Ehle (Contagion, Zero Dark Thirty), Peter Mullan (I Swear, Ozark), Phia Saban (House of the Dragon, The Last Kingdom), Ruaridh Mollica (Vision Quest, Isle of Man), Holliday Grainger (Peter Melrose, Strike), Douglas Hodge (Legends, Joker), and Corey Mylchreest (Queen Charlotte, Hostage).

• They join previously announced Oscar®, Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning actor, writer and director Kenneth Branagh (Mayday, Oppenheimer), and Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Peter Sarsgaard (Memory, Boys Don't Cry). Branagh also serves as executive producer.

• Set in the modern Scottish Highlands, Laird is an epic family saga in which a proud Scot (Kenneth Branagh) defies a shadowy American billionaire (Peter Sarsgaard) hellbent on buying up the glens. Amidst family feuds, buried secrets and star-crossed romances, the Laird of Castle Drummoch (Branagh) remains determined to protect his ancestral lands from oligarchical land grabbing.

• Created by Jez Butterworth (MobLand, The Agency), John-Henry Butterworth (Nine Perfect Strangers, The Agency) and Georgia Lee (Destination, Mudtown), Laird is produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios. Branagh will executive produce alongside David C. Glasser, Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, Joe Wright, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob Yari, Charles Finch, and Keith Cox. Two-time BAFTA®-winning filmmaker Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, Darkest Hour, Cyrano) is attached to direct the pilot.

• The series will premiere globally exclusively on Paramount+.

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Volpi Cup Winner and Emmy & Golden Globe Nominee Peter Sarsgaard Joins Scottish Highland Drama 'Laird' for Paramount+

VOLPI CUP WINNER AND EMMY ^® & GOLDEN GLOBE ^® NOMINEE PETER SARSGAARD JOINS SCOTTISH HIGHLAND DRAMA LAIRD FOR PARAMOUNT+

From Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth and Georgia Lee, Laird is Produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios

Photo Credit: Maria Maratti/Peter Sarsgaard

• Volpi Cup Winner and Emmy^® & Golden Globe^® nominee Peter Sarsgaard (Memory, Boys Don't Cry), will star alongside Oscar^®, Emmy^® and Golden Globe^®-winning actor, writer and director Kenneth Branagh (Mayday, Oppenheimer) who also serves as executive producer, in the upcoming Paramount+ Scottish Highland drama, Laird.

• Sarsgaard will star as "Peter Bergstrom," a ruthless, self-made tech titan and land magnate whose influence spans continents. He is not simply building wealth, but power - shaping land, industry, and people as extensions of his ambition.

• Set in the modern Scottish Highlands, Laird is an epic family saga in which a proud Scot defies a shadowy American billionaire (Peter Sarsgaard) hellbent on buying up the glens. Amidst family feuds, buried secrets and star-crossed romances, the Laird of Castle Drummoch (Kenneth Branagh) remains determined to protect his ancestral lands from oligarchical land grabbing.

• Created by Jez Butterworth (MobLand, The Agency), John-Henry Butterworth (Nine Perfect Strangers, The Agency) and Georgia Lee (Destination, Mudtown) Laird is produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios. Branagh will executive produce alongside David C. Glasser, Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, Joe Wright, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob Yari, Charles Finch, and Keith Cox. Two-time BAFTA^®-winning filmmaker Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, Darkest Hour, Cyrano) is attached to direct the pilot.

• The series will premiere globally exclusively on Paramount+.

• PETER SARSGAARD Bio: Peter Sarsgaard is an Emmy^® Award-nominated actor who was mostly recently seen in The Bride!, written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, alongside Christan Bale, Jessie Buckley, Annette Bening, and Penelope Cruz. His extensive film credits include Boys Don't Cry, The Lost Daughter, The Batman, September 5, Jackie, Memory, Blue Jasmine, An Education, Kinsey, Jarhead, and Shattered Glass, which earned him a Golden Globe^® nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.

On television, Sarsgaard starred in Dopesick, created by Danny Strong and directed by Barry Levinson, and Presumed Innocent created by David E. Kelley, both of which earned him an Emmy^® Award nomination. He was recently seen in DTF St. Louis, opposite David Harbour, Jason Bateman, and Linda Cardellini.

Sarsgaard began his career on stage, in the Off-Broadway production of Laura Dennis, and made his Broadway debut in 2008's The Seagull. Additional productions include Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and Hamlet. He will soon be seen on television opposite Callum Turner in Neuromancer, and on film in Erosion, Zero K, and Road House 2.

• Rep Info: Peter Sarsgaard is repped by WME, ID PR, and Peikoff/Mahan.

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Paramount+ Greenlights New Series Laird with Kenneth Branagh Set to Star and Executive Produce

PARAMOUNT+ GREENLIGHTS NEW SERIES LAIRD WITH KENNETH BRANAGH SET TO STAR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCE

Scottish Highland Drama from Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth and Georgia Lee to be Directed by Joe Wright and Produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios

Photo Credit: Johan Persson

July 22, 2026 – Today, Paramount+ announced it has greenlit a new drama series titled Laird, with Oscar^®, Emmy^® and Golden Globe^®-winning actor, writer and director Kenneth Branagh (Mayday, Oppenheimer) set to star and executive produce.

Set in the modern Scottish Highlands, Laird is an epic family saga in which a proud Scot defies a shadowy American billionaire hellbent on buying up the glens. Amidst family feuds, buried secrets and star-crossed romances, the Laird of Castle Drummoch (Branagh) remains determined to protect his ancestral lands from oligarchical land grabbing.

Created by Jez Butterworth (MobLand, The Agency), John-Henry Butterworth (Nine Perfect Strangers, The Agency) and Georgia Lee (The 100, Partner Track), Laird is produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios. Branagh will executive produce alongside David C. Glasser, Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, Joe Wright, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob Yari, Charles Finch, and Keith Cox. Two-time BAFTA^®-winning filmmaker Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, Darkest Hour, Cyrano) is attached to direct the pilot.

“At its heart, Laird is about one man standing his ground against unchecked wealth and power," said Jane Wiseman, Head of Originals for Paramount+. "There's something universally resonant about watching someone fight to protect what matters most, and with Kenneth Branagh leading the series, and an equally remarkable creative team, we can't wait for audiences to root for the Laird of Castle Drummoch"

“Jez, John-Henry, and Georgia have imagined a gripping drama that explores how far one family will go to protect their land and legacy,” said Matt Thunell, President, Paramount Television Studios. “With Kenneth Branagh starring and Joe Wright directing, this is a singular creative team, and we are thrilled to once again partner with 101 Studios to bring this series to Paramount+.”

“Working with Jez and John Henry has been such an incredible experience these last few years. I couldn’t be more thrilled to take another epic journey with them,” said David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios.

The series will premiere globally exclusively on Paramount+.

Kenneth Branagh is represented by WME, Berwick & Kovacik and Gochman Law Group.

This announcement follows greenlights for additional prestige Paramount+ dramas including Fear Not starring Anne Hathaway, 9/12 starring Jeremy Strong and Discretion starring Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, as well as renewals for record-setting series like Dutton Ranch and The Madison.

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About Paramount+:

Paramount+ is the global flagship streaming home of premium original series and entertainment from some of the most enduring brands in television to subscribers around the world. Drawing on decades of beloved IP, Paramount+ also features a diverse offering of live sports, feature films, news and series from across the Paramount portfolio including CBS hits like Marshals and Tracker, all BET Original Series, the Avatar animated universe from Nickelodeon and more. It is a key pillar of the Direct-to-Consumer division at Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY), whose portfolio spans Paramount Pictures, Pluto TV, and Skydance Animation, Games and Sports divisions. For more information, visit www.paramount.com.

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