Peter Sarsgaard Joins Kenneth Branagh in Paramount+ Drama 'Laird'
Peter Sarsgaard will face Kenneth Branagh in Laird, the new Paramount+ drama set in the modern Scottish Highlands.
Variety reported on 25 September 2026 that Sarsgaard has joined the cast, describing the casting as information it had learned. Branagh was previously announced as the lead, and the show received a series order in July, meaning Paramount+ committed to a full season without testing a trial episode first.
Sarsgaard plays Peter Bergstrom, a shadowy American billionaire intent on buying up the glens. The character is described as a ruthless, self-made tech titan and land magnate whose influence spans continents. Branagh plays the Laird of Castle Drummoch, a hereditary title-holder determined to protect his ancestral lands.
The fight is over land. And power.
Deadline describes Bergstrom as a man chasing power rather than wealth, treating land, industry and people as extensions of his ambition. Laird is billed as an epic family saga built around family feuds, buried secrets and star-crossed romances.
The series hails from co-creators Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth and Georgia Lee, according to Variety. Jez and John-Henry Butterworth previously co-created Paramount+'s spy drama The Agency, while Jez Butterworth is co-creator and showrunner — the lead writer in charge of day-to-day decisions — on Paramount+'s MobLand. Lee developed the Netflix legal drama Partner Track.
Joe Wright is attached to direct the pilot, the first episode that sets the look of a series, and serves as an executive producer, a senior creative and business role. Deadline notes Wright directed the first two episodes of The Agency. Branagh is also an executive producer alongside his starring role. The show is produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios, with additional executive producers including David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob Yari, Charles Finch and Keith Cox.
Sarsgaard is a two-time Emmy nominee, recognised for Dopesick and for season one of Presumed Innocent, Variety reports. He has history with the streamer, having starred in Interrogation when Paramount+ was still called CBS All Access. He most recently appeared in Maggie Gyllenhaal's film The Bride! alongside Christian Bale, Jessie Buckley, Annette Bening and Penelope Cruz. He also appeared in DTF St. Louis, and his upcoming work includes Neuromancer opposite Callum Turner and the films Erosion, Zero K and Road House 2.
For viewers, this means a clear clash at the centre. Old estate against new money, with the Highlands in between.
