After turning Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials saga into another HBO success story, the creatives at Bad Wolf have set their sights on another fantasy property. Variety reports that the studio is developing a live-action take on Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles trilogy.
Cornwell published the trilogy’s first installment, The Winter King, in 1995. The novel took place in 5th century Britain and depicted a new spin on Arthurian legends. Told through the perspective of one of his acolytes, the story re-imagines Arthur Pendragon’s rise from outsider to fearless leader. Other Arthurian staples like Merlin and Lancelot make appearances as well. Cornwell later released two sequels, 1996’s Enemy of God and 1997’s Excalibur.
Former BBC executives Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner founded Bad Wolf in 2015. Since then, they have produced shows like The Night Of and I Hare Suzie and will soon tackle the next iteration of Doctor Who. Bad Wolf aims to adapt The Winter King as a 10-episode series, with subsequent seasons covering the remaining two books in Cornwell’s trilogy. The studio began developing the project for Epic in 2020. However, Variety confirms that the show will now air on a different platform. It will also be Bad Wolf’s first major production since they were acquired by Sony Pictures Television for around $80 million.
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Kate Brooke (A Discovery of Witches) and Ed Whitmore (Manhunt) are acting as showrunners for The Warlord Chronicles. Additionally, Otto Bathurst, who previously helmed two episodes of His Dark Materials and currently directsParamount+’s Halo adaptation, has signed on to be the show’s lead director. Bathurst’s One Pig Picture banner will also produce the series alongside Bad Wolf.
Production on The Warlord Chronicles will begin in Wales and the West Country later this year.
Do you think The Warlord Chronicles can work as a TV series? Give us your impressions in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Winter King
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