‘The Last Kingdom’ - based on Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon series

[Zorral]

Woo -- Ripper Street meets Vikings.

 

That's as brief a trailer as one can make.

 

Do you all assume this is the opening from the first book, and that this is the only episode in which Macfadeyn appears?

[Talleyrand]

Some new clips have been posted up for this show and getting me more excited for it. Just finished the 5th book, and finishing up the third book in the Warlord Chronicles which would be a another great show from Cornwell if they ever make it. 

 

http://www.bbcamerica.com/the-last-kingdom/

Warlord Chronicles would be great if someone with the budget for it picked it up. Though a slight issue with Warlord I would have thought it that it covers a fairly large amount of time in the 3 books compared to the Uhtred ones. And it just sort of glosses over a few things, doesn't Derfel spend a couple years fighting Franks which basically is covered in about 3 pages before the fall of Galahad and Lancelot's city happens? 

[HexMachina]

Woo -- Ripper Street meets Vikings.
 
That's as brief a trailer as one can make.
 
Do you all assume this is the opening from the first book, and that this is the only episode in which Macfadeyn appears?

In the book, Uhtred joins Alfred after Kjartan burns the hall, doesn't he? So Alfred would also appear in the later episodes? (Unless I've missed something and series 1 won't cover the whole of book 1)

[Talleyrand]

In the book, Uhtred joins Alfred doesn't he? So Alfred would also appear in the later episodes? (Unless I've missed something and series 1 won't cover the whole of book 1

Macfadyen isn't Alfred. The Reporter from Ripper Street is. Not entirely sure who Macfadyen is playing

[HexMachina]

Macfadyen isn't Alfred. The Reporter from Ripper Street is. Not entirely sure who Macfadyen is playing

Oops, my mistake. I just went off of the OP

[GallowKnight]

Uthred is looking a lot less blond than I imagined.

[Love2Read]

Warlord Chronicles would be great if someone with the budget for it picked it up. Though a slight issue with Warlord I would have thought it that it covers a fairly large amount of time in the 3 books compared to the Uhtred ones. And it just sort of glosses over a few things, doesn't Derfel spend a couple years fighting Franks which basically is covered in about 3 pages before the fall of Galahad and Lancelot's city happens? 

 

Yes I do believe that the battle against the Franks is glossed over pretty quickly but it isn't anything that can't be expanded on for the sake of filling a season or delaying it in the timeline as shows tend to do. 

 

I get the feeling Macfadyen is playing Uthred's father. 

[Zorral]

Macfadyen isn't Alfred. The Reporter from Ripper Street is. Not entirely sure who Macfadyen is playing

 

 

 

Yes I do believe that the battle against the Franks is glossed over pretty quickly but it isn't anything that can't be expanded on for the sake of filling a season or delaying it in the timeline as shows tend to do. 

 

I get the feeling Macfadyen is playing Uthred's father. 

 

 

I as well guessed Macfadyen was playng the father -- and the kid in the trailer is Uthred as a boy -- and those viking ships are the ones that take him away,

[Tijgy]

 

 

 

 

I as well guessed Macfadyen was playng the father -- and the kid in the trailer is Uthred as a boy -- and those viking ships are the ones that take him away,

 

In the books

 

[spoiler]Uhtred (or actually Osbert is not yet taken away. [/spoiler] 

[HexMachina]

I as well guessed Macfadyen was playng the father -- and the kid in the trailer is Uthred as a boy -- and those viking ships are the ones that take him away,

Ok, then to expand a bit on what Tijgy said
[spoiler] If they include the battle at York then Macfadyen should die there, which (again if they include it) would possibly be and end point for episode one [/spoiler]

[Martini Sigil]

I'm reading the book, The Last Kingdome .... my kindle says that I'm 74% into it.... I am loving it.... a lot

[CyanidePie]

Warlord Chronicles would be great if someone with the budget for it picked it up. Though a slight issue with Warlord I would have thought it that it covers a fairly large amount of time in the 3 books compared to the Uhtred ones. And it just sort of glosses over a few things, doesn't Derfel spend a couple years fighting Franks which basically is covered in about 3 pages before the fall of Galahad and Lancelot's city happens? 

Yes, which is why you do a trilogy of movies for The Warlord Chronicles and not a television series. There's no need to expand on stuff that was glossed over in the books, just follow the great story that's there on the page.

[Zorral]

 

In the books

 

[spoiler]Uhtred (or actually Osbert is not yet taken away. [/spoiler] 

 

Thanks for the information - correction!  It's been years since I read the first book, way back when it came out.  My memories of it are, shall we say -- are selective, it seems, fairly focused on the loss of his home -- which you brought back -- and his vow to get it back -- well, never mind that would be spoilage.

[Corvinus85]

Just finished the book, which I enjoyed as much as everything else I've read so far from Cornwell.

Even though Cornwell is less descriptive than GRRM, the hall burning that occurs in the middle of the book was almost as gut wrenching as the Red Wedding. If the showrunners handle that right, it could have a similar effect for the non-reader audience.

 

Now I looked at the cast listed on imdb, and didn't see Sven, Ivar and Halfdan. Are they cast?

 

Are the rectangular shields I've seen the Saxons use in the trailer historically accurate? Because I simply imagined that they were using round shields like the Danes, but without the extra paint.

[HexMachina]

Just finished the book, which I enjoyed as much as everything else I've read so far from Cornwell.
Even though Cornwell is less descriptive than GRRM, the hall burning that occurs in the middle of the book was almost as gut wrenching as the Red Wedding. If the showrunners handle that right, it could have a similar effect for the non-reader audience.
 
Now I looked at the cast listed on imdb, and didn't see Sven, Ivar and Halfdan. Are they cast?
 
Are the rectangular shields I've seen the Saxons use in the trailer historically accurate? Because I simply imagined that they were using round shields like the Danes, but without the extra paint.

Good point about the Hall burning. Hope they build up the Ragnar/Uhtred's relationship sufficiently to make that as powerful as it was in the novels.
I don't think we have the full casting yet. That said. Ivar and Halfdan don't really need to be cast, given how small their role in the book is (especially Halfdan). Most of what he does can be taken over by Ubba.
Do we know how much of the book series they intend to adapt? Because (Lords of the North spoiler, so you might want to stop reading Corvinus)
[spoiler] Sven and Kjartan don't reappear until then [/spoiler]

[Tijgy]

Ivar and Halfdan are the two other Lothbroksons. So maybe they are going to merge the three in one character Ubba?

Kjartan has been cast. So I don't know how they would tell that part of the story without his son. 

 

It is stil imdb; so there can still be mistakes. 

[HexMachina]

Ivar and Halfdan are the two other Lothbroksons. So maybe they are going to merge the three in one character Ubba?
Kjartan has been cast. So I don't know how they would tell that part of the story without his son. 
 
It is stil imdb; so there can still be mistakes.

Ubba is the only one that does anything insignificant so that's very likely. Imo

[Jack Bauer 24]

Who's playing Ragnar?

[Talleyrand]

Ubba is the only one that does anything insignificant so that's very likely. Imo

Well Ivar's son and grandson play a pretty big role in Lords of the North but if they get that far they could always pass them off as Ubba's bunch

[AncalagonTheBlack]

BBC America's full trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og5_7KpFtrI

 

Non-US regions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGprbcuI9qs