A new TV show based on William the Conqueror has cast Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The actor famously played Jaime Lannister in all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, and died together with his sister Cersei in the series finale. Jaime was a complicated character in the season, going from a despised villain to a somewhat sympathetic figure by the show’s end. For his next role, Coster-Waldau will be portraying the famed, battle-hardened historical figure William the Conqueror in King and Conqueror from BBC and CBS Studios.
Videos by ComicBook.com
King and Conqueror comes from writer Robert Johnson (Sherlock Holmes). Baltasar Kormákur (Everest) is slated to direct its premiere episode. Starring alongside Coster-Waldau is James Norton (Happy Valley), who plays Harold, the Earl of Wessex. King and Conqueror is described as “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 British throne, who found themselves forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of its crown.”
Along with acting roles, Norton and Coster-Waldau will also work behind the camera, with Norton executive producing through his production company Rabbit Track Pictures. Coster-Waldau will direct an episode and is also an executive producer.
“We are thrilled to partner with James, Nikolaj, Baltasar and the entire creative team on King and Conqueror, a truly groundbreaking series with world-class talent and global reach,” said Lindsey Martin, senior vice president of international co-productions and development at CBS Studios. “Michael’s scripts offer a bold and fresh take on a story that has endured for nearly 1,000 years, and yet, the themes are as contemporary and relevant as ever. We are incredibly proud of what the team has achieved so far and can’t wait to see it all come to fruition on screen with our star-studded cast.”
Game of Thrones spinoff gets a disappointing update
The popularity of Game of Thrones prompted HBO to greenlight spinoffs, including the successful House of the Dragon. Others in various stages of development include a Jon Snow spinoff and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. Aside from the latter, none of the spinoffs are moving forward at this time.
“We always have Game of Thrones scripts in development. We greenlit [A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight] in the spring,” HBO CEO and chairman Casey Bloys recently shared, per TVLine. “I wouldn’t say there is anything else in that world that is close to a green light or anything, but we are always working on different scripts and ideas.”
