As the British Empire ravages Southeast Asian islands for natural resources, a lone Dayak pirate and his charismatic crew fight to protect the native peoples of the Malay Archipelago. After all, there’s no greater treasure than freedom. The swashbuckling 19th-century historical drama Sandokan was adapted for TV by Luca Bernabei (Coco Chanel) and Scott Rosenbaum (The Shield) from a series of adventure novels by Italian author Emilio Salgari. 

Keep reading to learn more about the show.

Who’s in the cast of Sandokan? 

• Can Yaman (Dolunay) as Sandokan
• Ed Westwick (White Gold, Gossip Girl) as Lord James Brooke
• Alanah Bloor (Man vs Baby) as Lady Marianna
• Alessandro Preziosi (My Brother, My Sister) as Yanez
• John Hannah (Spartacus) as Sergeant Murray
• Madeleine Price (Geek Girl) as Sani
• Owen Teale (A Discovery of Witches) as Lord Guillonk 
• Matt McCooey (Agatha Raisin) as Sultan Muda Hashim
• Gilberto Gaiozzi (Inspector Coliandro) as Sambigliong
• Samuele Segreto (Fireworks) as Emilio Salgari, aka The Italian

What happens in Sandokan? 

The year is 1845, and Borneo is overrun by British colonizers. The native tribes have little hope of freeing themselves from Her Majesty’s enslavement, under which they’re forced to mine their ancestral lands for precious natural resources like gold. The British Empire’s control over Southeast Asia and its trade seems complete except for one pesky little thing: the pirate captain Sandokan (Yaman) and his criminally resourceful crew. 

When Sandokan spots an opportunity to rob the British Consulate in Borneo, he leaps at the chance — going undercover as a shipwrecked merchant named Ismail. Sandokan sweet-talks Lady Marianna (Bloor), the consul’s daughter, into revealing where and when the consulate’s exports will be shipped. But when Sandokan’s charm impresses Lady Marianna’s father as well, he finds himself on a celebratory tiger hunt with several British bigwigs, including Lord James Brooke (Westwick), the most notorious pirate hunter in Southeast Asia — who’s also Lady Marianna’s intended. When Sandokan fights off a tiger to save Lady Marianna, Lord James begins to suspect he isn’t who he says he is. Will Sandokan be able to spring his trap before Lord James catches him? Or will his flirtations with Lady Marianna prove to be a deadly mistake?

Stream Season 1 of Sandokan now.

Historical Dramas to Stream Now