| The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin | |
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| Genre | Historical fantasy |
| Created by | Jeremy Boreing |
| Based on | The Pendragon Cycle by Stephen R. Lawhead |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
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| Network | DailyWire+ |
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is an American historical fantasy television series created for DailyWire+ . Based on the book series by Stephen R. Lawhead, the series is a retelling of Arthurian legend set in Roman-occupied England.
A unique retelling of the Arthurian legend, set not in the high Medieval age of knights in shining armor, but in the wake of a Roman-occupied Britain. A young Merlin faces spiritual and physical darkness, as barbarian invaders threaten to lay claim to the Island of the Mighty. [1]
Finney Cassidy, Myles Clohessy, Alex Laurence Phillips, Daniel Fathers, and Emree Franklin also star. [2]
In November 2022, The Daily Wire announced its intention to produce an adaptation of the series. [3] In July 2023, it was announced that The Daily Wire Co-CEO Jeremy Boreing would be taking a leave of absence from the company, to co-direct the seven-episode television series. It was additionally revealed that the series would outsource its filming and production abroad, namely in Italy and Hungary, and would premiere on DailyWire+ in 2025. [4]
In September, British actor Tom Sharp was announced to have been cast in the series' lead role as Merlin, as filming began in Europe. [5]
Executive Producer Dallas Sonnier recalled Sharp independently auditioned for the title role “To discover Tom Sharp off of a casting tape that was self-submitted without an agent, direct to us, and to find a future movie star out of nowhere is such a cool thing”. [6]
During production, the series' main cast was revealed, which includes Brett Cooper as Ganieda, Rose Reid as Charis, and James Arden as Taliesin. [7]
Boreing said that the show is "the culmination of a 10-year vision to create culture, not just to criticize it. Lawhead’s novels present a visceral, masculine Christianity in a world of conflict and mystery. It isn’t saccharine or clean. In short, it is very much like our world. I’m so happy to share our adaptation, and the work of our remarkable cast and crew, with the Daily Wire audience.” [2]