‘The Winter King’ UK premiere date: Bernard Cornwell adaptation begins on ITV soon

ITV has finally announced when The Winter King launches in the UK!

The first part of Bernard Cornwell‘s Warlord Chronicles trilogy has been adapted by writers Kate Brooke (A Discovery of Witches) and Ed Whitmore (Silent Witness).

Blending historical fiction with Arthurian mythology, the new historical fantasy drama series comes from the makers of the BBC’s His Dark Materials adaptation.

The Winter King has already premiered in the US this summer, with all 10 episodes streaming on MGM+ right now.

American viewers can watch the show with this free 7-day MGM+ trial!

Fortunately, folks in the UK won’t have to wait too much longer for the series to arrive on this side of the pond.

When’s the UK release date?

The first 5 episodes of The Winter King will be streaming on ITVX from Thursday 21 December.

Episodes 6-10 will then follow just after Christmas on Wednesday 27 December.

We expect the series will eventually get a traditional television broadcast on ITV1 at some point in 2024.

The Winter King is set in the fifth century in a brutal land of warring factions and tribes where lives were often fleeting and follows Arthur Pendragon as he evolves from being an outcast and becomes a legendary warrior and leader.

Iain De Caestecker leads the show as Arthur, and you might recognise the young Scottish actor from shows like The Control Room and Roadkill.

Watch the trailer here:

De Caestecker is joined by Eddie Marsan (Ridley Road) as High King Uther, Ellie James (I May Destroy You) as Nimue, Nathaniel Martello-White (Small Axe) as Merlin, and Stuart Campbell (SAS Rogue Heroes) as Derfel.

The ensemble cast also includes Daniel Ings (The Crown) as Owain, Valene Kane (The Fall) as Morgan, Jordan Alexandra (Mammals) as Guinevere, and Simon Merrells (Good Omens) as Gundleus.

This looks like epic stuff and should keep fans of Arthurian drama busy over the festive season this December!

Bernard Cornwell’s The Warlord Chronicles novels are available on Amazon.