Engin Altan Düzyatan, who stars as Ertugrul Gazi in the global-hit Resurrection: Ertugrul, also known as the Muslim Game of Thrones, is rumored to currently be in talks to play the titular character in TRT’s upcoming historical drama “Barbaros”, which is currently in its early production stages.
Neither broadcaster TRT nor Düzyatan commented or made any statement regarding the casting rumors that began circulating last week.
Hayrettin Pasha earned the nickname “Barbaros” or “Barbarossa” which means red beard in Italian because of his striking red facial hair that instilled fear in the hearts of his foes.
It was previously rumored that Düzyatan was going to be playing the role of the elder brother of the famous Ottoman admiral Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha, who conquered Tunis in 1534 and is known as Father Oruç.
Turkish star Çagatay Ulusoy, who starred in the hit Turkish drama The Protector, was also in talks to join the cast of “Barbaros” before negotiations with the broadcaster reportedly collapsed.
It was then alleged that insistence on casting Ertugrul star Engin Altan Düzyatan in the historical drama, which is seen by many as Turkey’s new hit in-the-making, is the reason Ulusoy called it quits.
Often described as the Turkish Game of Thrones, the series depicts the 13th century Anatolia and tells the story before the establishment of the Ottoman Empire. It illustrates the struggle of Ertugrul Gazi, father of the empire's first leader.
The series illustrates the struggle of Ertuğrul and his warriors against a plethora of adversaries from the Knights Templar to Mongol invaders.
According to the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV), 133.38 million people have so far watched the drama series from April 25- May 14. Also, its episodes are trending on YouTube in Pakistan every day.
Turkey is one of the top five series-exporting countries in the world, enthralling audiences from Latin America to Central Asia.
Dozens of Turkish series are being followed by more than 500 million viewers in over 150 countries, according to Turkey's Culture Ministry.
Resurrection: Ertugrul has attracted particular acclaim with viewers from over 70 countries.
