EXCLUSIVE: Last Kingdom fanatics gearing themselves up for next year’s fifth and final season have something extra to smile about, a Netflix feature film is in the works.
Delivering the announcement at today’s London MCM Comic Con, Alexander Dreymon, who stars as protagonist Uhtred and exec produces the historical drama, unveiled Carnival Films’ Seven Kings Must Die.
Filming on the two-hour feature will begin early next year in Budapest, shortly before the final 10-part season drops on Netflix.
Dreymon will reprise his lead role and will be joined by many of the series cast, along with some new faces.
While next year’s season five “fully concludes the series,” producer Nigel Marchant said “there was always one more story that we wanted to tell.”
Dreymon added: “It’s been such a privilege to tell Uhtred’s story for five seasons. I’m so grateful to our fans. They have been immensely loyal to The Last Kingdom and thanks to their support, the team is getting together for another round.”
Based on Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories, The Last Kingdom was originally commissioned by BBC2 and aired in 2015. Netflix came on board as co-producer for season two and took full rights (bar several territories) from series three onwards, growing the fan base steadily since. It was revealed in April that the fifth run would be the final TV series.
The show covers a circa-45 year period of history from 866 following the Great Heathen Army’s arrival in Britain, focusing on the resistance of the Kingdom of Wessex to ongoing Viking incursions to Southern England.
NBCUniversal International Studios’ Carnival Films will produce the feature, with Dreymon exec producing alongside writer Martha Hillier. The director is Ed Bazalgette, producers are Marchant, Gareth Neame and Mat Chaplin and distributor is NBCUniversal Global Distribution.