The Last Kingdom is the latest series that in no way is influenced by Game of Thrones
By Dan Selcke
It’s no secret that the success of Game of Thrones has inspired other networks to try their hand at epic tales in medieval or quasi-medieval settings. The Bastard Executioner is currently bringing Game of Thrones’ brand of grim violence to FX, the Esquire Network is adapting the epic poem Beowulf for TV, and earlier today we reported that a Game of Thrones producer was working on a new fantasy series called The Perished Land. BBC America isn’t immune to Game of Thrones fever. It’s readying an epic series called The Last Kingdom, about the Viking invasion of England in the ninth century AD. Here’re the opening titles.
In some ways, it’s unfair to compare these opening titles to the ones for Game of Thrones—it’s not like Thrones is the only program allowed to use panoramic shots of maps—but then again, it’s hard to think about it. Former BBC American EP Gareth Neame cautioned critics not to compare the two shows (“We have no dragons,” he said), but plenty did anyway.
Again, it’s hard not to draw comparisons when you get an eagle-eyed view of the plot. The Last Kingdom is based on The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell, which follows the attempts of King Alfred (the Great) of Wessex as he tries to convince the warring kingdoms of medieval Britain to set aside their rivalries and unite to fight a horde of seemingly unstoppable invaders. See? I’m not even trying to make it sound like Game of Thrones. It just happens. Small wonder that Cornwell’s books, which have been coming out since 2004, became attractive to producers now, in the wake of Thrones’ success.
Anyway, The Last Kingdom will air on BBC America on October 10.
The main character of The Last Kingdom, Uhtred Ragnarson, who in no way looks like Jon Snow’s understudy.
Meanwhile, Lionsgate has snapped up the rights to make a variety of derivative works based on The Kingkiller Chronicles, a popular fantasy series by Patrick Rothfuss. Rothfuss’ books follow the adventures of Kvothe, a precocious musician who travels the world of Temerant seeking answers to the mystery of who murdered his family. According to the terms of the deal, Lionsgate will make movie(s), a TV show, and even a videogame based on Rothfuss’ work.
“It is rare that a property comes along with a world so rich and multilayered that it lends itself to exploration across film, television, and video game audiences at the same time,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erik Feig. “Ka-ching!” he added (not really).
The Kingkiller Chronicles seems less like Game of Thrones than The Last Kingdom does, not least of all because of its narrowed scope, but it’s still hard to believe that Lionsgate would be this enthusiastic about the property if it weren’t for the success of the HBO show. What other series will Game of Thrones inspire before it’s off the air? Only time and trigger-happy TV executives will tell.
H/T Forbes