BBC confirms launch for historical King & Conqueror
TRAILER: James Norton and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau clash in historical drama King & Conqueror, the story of Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy in the build-up to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, which will debut on the BBC this August.
The trailer shows Harold, Earl of Wessex (Norton) and William, Duke of Normandy (Coster-Waldau) as they battle for the throne alongside their respective wives, Edith Swan-neck (Emily Beecham) and Matilda (Clémence Poésy). It also features allies and enemies such as King Edward (Eddie Marsan), Lady Emma (Juliet Stevenson), Morcar (Elander Moore), Gytha (Clare Holman), Tostig (Luther Ford), Queen Gunhild (Bo Bragason) and Godwin (Geoff Bell).
The eight-part series also stars Jean-Marc Barr as King Henry, Elliott Cowan as Sweyn, Bjarne Henriksen as Earl Siward, Oliver Masucci as Baldwin, Indy Lewis as Margaret, Jason Forbes as Thane Thomas, Ingvar Sigurdsson as Fitzosbern, Ines Asserson as Judith, Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson as Hardrada and Léo Legrand as Odo.
King & Conqueror is described as the story of a clash that defined the future of a country – and a continent – for a thousand years, the roots of which stretch back decades and extend out through a pair of interconnected family dynasties, struggling for power across two countries and a raging sea. Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy were two men destined to meet at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 – two allies with no design on the English throne, who found themselves forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of its crown.
King & Conqueror is produced by The Development Partnership, Rabbit Track Pictures, Shepherd Content, RVK Studios and CBS Studios, in association with the BBC.
It is created and executive produced by Michael Robert Johnson and executive produced by Norton and Kitty Kaletsky for Rabbit Track Pictures, Baltasar Kormákur and Magnus Sigurdsson for RVK Studios, Robert Taylor for The Development Partnership, Dave Clarke and Richard Halliwell for Shepherd Content, Lindsey Martin for CBS Studios, Ed Clarke and Coster-Waldau.
Kormákur directed the premiere episode and, as executive producer, has steered the creative across the series.
The BBC has acquired broadcasting rights for the series in the UK and will launch the series on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this August.
It is distributed outside the UK by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Read more about the making of the series here.
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