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Winter is coming…but not in the form of another Game of Thrones spin-off à la House of the Dragon. MGM+ recently announced that The Winter King, a 10-episode original series, is scheduled to premiere on the premium subscription service on August 20 at 9:00 p.m. EDT/PDT.
But I couldn’t pass up the GoT reference because, as Entertainment Weekly so succinctly summed it up, the beloved HBO series “is heavily influenced by the aesthetics of Arthurian legend.” So is The Winter King, which MGM+ describes as a “bold and revisionist take on well-loved Arthurian legends, based on Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles series.”
About The Winter King
The Winter King is set in the fifth century, long before Britain was united, in a brutal land of warring factions and tribes, where lives were often fleeting. The series follows Arthur Pendragon as he evolves from outcast to legendary warrior and leader.
“The Winter King is a cinematic and imaginative reinterpretation of the Arthurian legend,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. “Kate Brooke, Ed Whitmore, and the magnificent cast take viewers on a fascinating and entertaining journey through this timeless tale told through a new lens.”
The series is produced by Bad Wolf, which is owned by Sony Pictures Television. Otto Bathurst (Peaky Blinders, His Dark Materials) serves as lead director and executive producer alongside Toby Leslie.
It was filmed in Wales and the West Country.
The Winter King Cast
The principal ensemble cast features:
- Iain De Caestecker (The Control Room, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Arthur Pendragon
- Eddie Marsan (The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, Deceit) as High King Uther
- Ellie James (Giri/Haji, I May Destroy You) as Nimue
- Nathaniel Martello-White (Small Axe, I Hate Suzie) as Merlin
- Stuart Campbell (Rogue Heroes, Clique) as Derfel
- Daniel Ings (I Hate Suzie, The Crown) as Owain
- Valene Kane (The Fall, Gangs of London) as Morgan
- Jordan Alexandra (Mammals) as Guinevere
- Simon Merrells (Good Omens, Knightfall) as Gundleus
But it also includes:
- Steven Elder (The King, A Spy Among Friends) as Bishop Bedwin
- Andrew Gower (Outlander, Carnival Row) as Sansum
- Aneirin Hughes (Keeping Faith, Dream Horse) as Gorfydd,
- Emily John (My Policeman) as Ceinwyn
- Tatjana Nardone (Devils, State of Consciousness) as Ladwyss
- Ken Nwosu (Killing Eve, The Letter for the King) as Sagramor
- Billy Postlethwaite (The Great, Chernobyl) as Cadwys.
The Winter King First Look Photos
Arthur Pendragon and Merlin
Derfel and Nimue
Ulster and Arthur
For More Info
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Are you a fan of epic fantasy series like Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and The Wheel of Time?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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I am a fan of epic fantasies as long as Hollywood doesn’t try to contemporize (is that a word?) the story too much. If you wipe away too much of the past then the story doesn’t feel authentic and could be set in any time in any place.
I don’t know if contemporize is a word or not either, Vera. (Grammarly didn’t object to it when I typed it out, though! lol) BUT I LOVE the way you used it AND your observation. AGREE! Totally didn’t think of it like that but you are SO right! And isn’t that part of why so many of us escape into an epic fantasy based on history? To experience vicariously what life was like back when? Superb point!