'Fantastic' BBC period drama epic about real life rivalry ‘nobody has done before' lands this month
New teaser pictures have been released of the much anticipated new period drama from the BBC. King & Conqueror is coming to screens this August bank holiday, and tells the story of how William the Conqueror ascended the English throne after the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Set in 11th-century Britain, the show stars James Norton, Eddie Marsan and Juliet Stevenson, exploring how the future King of England Harold Godwinson and William, Duke of Normandy, came to be such bitter rivals.
The ambitious production will take viewers back to the period running up to the Battle of Hastings, which saw King Harold II brutally killed by William the Conqueror's invading forces.
Norton and Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Walda play the famous feuding leaders in the eight-part series, brought by The Frankenstein Chronicles writer Michael Robert Johnson and Everest director Baltasar Kormákur.
The BBC synopsis reads: "King & Conqueror is 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."
The new pictures show James Norton as Harold, Earl of Wessex, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William, Duke of Normandy, Emily Beecham as Edith Swan-neck, Clémence Poésy as Matilda, Eddie Marsan as King Edward, Juliet Stevenson as Lady Emma, Clare Holman as Gytha, Luther Ford as Tostig, Bo Bragason as Queen Gunhild and Indy Lewis as Margaret.
Fans of the likes of The Last Kingdom and The Winter King are urged to check the show out when it airs, and many have been taking to social media to express their excitement ahead of the historical epic hitting screens. One took to Reddit to say: "I think this looks fantastic. Absolutely stellar cast, and such an interesting time in history that hasn't gotten enough on-screen depiction."
Another said: "Looking so forward to this. Took trips to look at the bayeux tapestry and go to the (apparent) site of the Battle of Hastings. About time there's a movie about it."
A third excited viewer said: "It has to be good. The Norman Conquest definitely needs more adaptions. I am absolutely anticipating this series." And a fourth said: "This looks epic, gritty and a pure medieval journey. I can't wait to see this, been waiting for a such long time."
The series also stars Elander Moore as Morcar, Geoff Bell as Godwin, Jean-Marc Barr as King Henry, Elliott Cowan as Sweyn, Bjarne Henriksen as Earl Siward, Oliver Masucci as Baldwin, 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 produced by The Development Partnership, Rabbit Track Pictures, Shepherd Content, RVK Studios and CBS Studios, in association with the BBC.
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