History is moving forward with Sons of Liberty, setting an all-star cast for its six-hour miniseries.

The Revolutionary War miniseries, first announced more than a year ago, follows a defiant and radical group of young men -- Sam Adams, John Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock and Joseph Warren -- as they band together in secrecy to change the course of history and make America a nation.

Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia) stars as Sam Adams, a natural-born leader with charisma and a penchant for mischief; Ryan Eggold (The Black List) is set as Warren, a doctor and man of conscience and integrity; Michael Raymond-James (Once Upon a Time) is Revere, a veteran who wholeheartedly joins forces with Adams; Rafe Spall (Prometheus) will portray Hancock, the wealthiest man in Boston at the time; and Henry Thomas (Gangs of New York) is John Adams, a lawyer and the conservative, smart cousin of Sam Adams. Marton Csokas (The Lord of the Rings) will be Gen. Thomas Gage, who is sent to handle the unrest in Boston with a military response; Emily Berrington (24: Live Another Day) will be Margaret Gage; and Dean Norris (Breaking Bad, Under the Dome) rounds out the cast as the brilliant yet mischievous diplomat Benjamin Franklin.

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Hans Zimmer will create the title theme for the miniseries, which begins production in the summer. Sons of Liberty hails from A+ E Studios and Stephen David Entertainment, the production company behind History's The Men Who Built America, its eight-hour mini that focused on John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan.

Kari Skogland (Boardwalk Empire, Vikings) will direct. Stephen David and David C. White penned the series. Russ McCarroll and Elaine Frontain Bryant will exec produce for History, while David and Matthew Gross will oversee for Stephen David Entertainment.

Here's History's official logline: "Calling themselves the Sons of Liberty, they light the spark that ignited a revolution. Though their names have become American legend, this group of young rebels didn’t start off as noble patriots in powdered wigs. They were a new American generation of young men from varied backgrounds, struggling to find purpose in their lives. They were looking for equality, but they found something greater: Independence."

For History, Sons of Liberty becomes the cabler's latest miniseries. It joins the star-studded Texas Rising and follows Hatfields & McCoys and The Bible. History -- among other broadcast and cable networks -- has used miniseries to attract top talent and cache in a bid to break through the clutter and draw live viewers in the DVR era. A formal premiere date for Sons of Liberty has not yet been announced.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com

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