The Last Kingdom is getting a new co-producer.
Filming has just started for the second season of The Last Kingdom, a historical drama on BBC, and already the show is gaining a new co-producer. Today Deadline announced Netflix would be co-producing the historical drama alongside Carnival Films, the same studio that produced Downton Abbey. Next year Netflix will air The Last Kingdom in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Japan, Spain and Portugal. Last year, BBC America brought the series to the U.S., but now has backed out of the project. Later this year Netflix will be adding season one of The Last Kingdom to its streaming service.
The Last Kingdom is based on Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling series The Saxon Stories, and Stephen Butchard adapted the series for television.
The eight-episode first season of The Last Kingdom performed well, receiving an average of 2.7 million viewers each episode in the UK. Furthermore, the series was nominated by the Royal Television Society for Best Drama.
Returning cast members for the second season are Alexander Dreymon (American Horror Story), David Dawson (Peaky Blinders), Emily Cox (Homeland), Ian Hart (Boardwalk Empire) and Tobias Santelmann (Marcella). Joining the second season are Thure Lindhardt (The Bridge), Millie Brady (Legend) and Peter McDonald (Thirteen).
The Last Kingdom tells the story of Uhtred (Dreymon) who is a warrior bent on reclaiming his birthright. The series also tells the story of King Alfred the Great, the king who is on a quest to unite the kingdoms of what is now England. Season 2 will pick up in the year 878 following the fall of the northern wild lands into rebellion. Uhtred has pledged his loyalty to King Alfred and vowed to avenge Earl Ragnar’s death and reclaim Bebbanburg, his ancestral lands.
No word has been released as to when season 2 will premiere.