The Winter King (TV series) explained

Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Num Series:1
Num Episodes:10
Producer:Catrin Lewis Defis
Runtime:50–60 minutes
Last Aired:present

The Winter King is a British historical fiction television series based on Bernard Cornwell's trilogy of novels The Warlord Chronicles,[1] starring Iain De Caestecker as Arthur Pendragon. The series premiered on MGM+ in the United States on 20 August 2023 and on ITVX in the United Kingdom on 21 December 2023.[2]

Premise

The series acts as a retelling of the Arthurian legends and takes place in Post-Roman Dark Age Britain, where the warlord Arthur Pendragon has been banished while Saxons invade and a child-king sits unprotected on the throne.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Production

Development

On 22 April 2022, Sony Pictures Television announced that their recently acquired production company Bad Wolf were adapting The Winter King, the first book in Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Trilogy, into a 10-part series for British television.[11] The series was developed for television by Kate Brooke and Ed Whitmore, premiering in 2023[12] on ITVX, the upcoming streaming platform from U.K. broadcaster ITV[13] Other writers include Nessah Muthy.[14] Lachlan Mackinnon and Catrin Lewis Defis is producing.[15] American cable network MGM+ was at one point adapting The Warlord Trilogy with Bad Wolf but is no longer involved.[16] [17] Otto Bathurst will be the lead director,[18] with additional episodes directed by Farren Blackburn.

Filming

Aske Alexander Foss will serve as lead Director of Photography shooting blocks 1 & 3 with Stephan Pehrsson shooting block 2.The series will shoot in Wales and the West Country in the second half of 2022. In July 2022, the Tropiquaria Zoo in Watchet, Somerset was used as a base for filming within a radius of the Watchet wildlife park and aquarium.[19] A set has been built next to a former Wye Valley quarry[20] near Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales.[21] [22]

This drama will also be filmed in Bristol on a temporary film set with a fortified encampment at Patchway Studios off Highwood Road in Patchway Trading Estate. The set will mainly be a ‘rocky canyon’ structure made up of prefabricated polyurethane foam panels on scaffolding. The filming operation would vary between 70 and 150 cast and crew across 70 days between July 2022 and January 2023.[23] The series is supported by The Bristol Film Office.[24]

On 15 September 2022, filming took place in Wiltshire and near Bradford on Avon in South West England.[25] Local Bristol media reported on 30 September that parts of the Blaise Castle Estate in Henbury have been cordoned off as a filming location for this television drama. A specific area of Blaise Castle grounds have been transformed into a village with sets being built.[26] [27] On 11 October 2022, the filming moved to The Brabazon Hangars/Filton Airfield north of Bristol.[28]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, The Winter King holds an approval rating of 82% based on 11 critic reviews. The critics consensus reads: "Action-packed and sprawling in scope, The Winter King compensates for its lack of fidelity to Bernard Cornwell's books with sheer entertainment value."[29] Metacritic assigned the series a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, based on seven critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[30]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'The Winter King,' from Sony's Bad Wolf Productions, to Debut on U.K. Streaming Platform ITVX . Variety . 19 August 2022 . 15 June 2023 .
  2. Web site: ITV December 2023 monthly highlights . ITV.com . 10 October 2023 . 29 October 2023 .
  3. Web site: Iain de Caestecker | Hamilton Hodell .
  4. Web site: Gordon and French - Stuart Campbell Profile .
  5. News: arthurian legend re-imagined casting announced : Winter King coming on itvx .
  6. Web site: Wiseman . Andreas . The Winter King: Bad Wolf & ITVX Round Out Cast On Arthurian Legend Drama, Filming Wraps . . 9 February 2023 . February 9, 2023.
  7. Web site: Ken Nwosu | United Agents .
  8. Web site: Daniel Ings | United Agents .
  9. Web site: Andrew Gower .
  10. Web site: Profile | Spotlight .
  11. Web site: 'The Winter King,' from Sony's Bad Wolf Productions, to Debut on U.K. Streaming Platform ITVX . Variety . 19 August 2022 . 15 June 2023.
  12. Web site: 'The Winter King,' from Sony's Bad Wolf Productions, to Debut on U.K. Streaming Platform ITVX . 19 August 2022 .
  13. U.K. Streaming Platform ITVX Will Launch in November 2022 - Variety
  14. Web site: Nessah Muthy .
  15. Web site: Catrin Lewis Defis .
  16. Web site: 'The Winter King,' from Sony's Bad Wolf Productions, to Debut on U.K. Streaming Platform ITVX . 19 August 2022 . 15 June 2023 .
  17. Web site: 'A Column of Fire' Adaptation, Projects from Jackson Browne, Edward Burns, Blumhouse & Bad Wolf on Epix's Development Slate – TCA . 19 January 2020 .
  18. Web site: The Winter King | Bad Wolf .
  19. Web site: Somerset wildlife park used as filming base for upcoming TV series . 16 July 2022 .
  20. Web site: Arthurian epic to be shot near Wyeside quarry site | monmouthshirebeacon.co.uk . 16 June 2022 .
  21. Web site: Bad Wolf to film historical drama near disused quarry in Wales .
  22. Web site: New TV drama set to be filmed next to a former quarry site near Chepstow . 17 June 2022 .
  23. Web site: Industrial yard to become a 'fortified encampment' for major new TV series . 4 May 2022 .
  24. Web site: Why are so many shows filmed in Bristol? . 5 September 2022 .
  25. Web site: Film crew spotted in Wiltshire for new Arthurian legend TV series . 15 September 2022 .
  26. Web site: Medieval village created at Blaise Castle Estate for major new TV drama . 20 September 2022 .
  27. News: Medieval TV set to be at Blaise Castle until Christmas . Bristollive . 4 October 2022 . Streeting . Louisa .
  28. Web site: Major TV drama filming at Bristol Arena site . 11 October 2022 .
  29. Web site: The Winter King. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. 9 November 2023.
  30. Web site: The Winter King. Metacritic. Red Ventures. 9 November 2023.