A gritty, humanist retelling
The Winter King is a new historical drama series based on the first book in Bernard Cornwell’s popular series about the legend of King Arthur. Adapted for television by Ed Whitmore and directed by Otto Bathurst, the show stars Iain De Caestecker as Arthur, Nathaniel MartelloWhite as Merlin and Ellie James as druid priestess Nimue. Tymon Smith spoke to the cast about what this latest version of a legend that’s held the popular imagination for centuries has in store for new audiences.
Were you familiar with the books before you were approached to be part of the show?
IAIN DE CAESTECKER: No, but I immediately read them and loved how accurate the books are. Cornwell does his historical research and that made the process immersive. The belief in that world drove us forward when we were making the show. We created a world that people are familiar with, yet which is fantastical.
What attracted you to the creators’ vision?
NATHANIEL MARTELLO-WHITE: The interpretation of Merlin was going to be different with me playing it, or somebody of a similar ethnicity. They referenced Michael Fassbender’s Macbeth, and The Revenant, but it was clear they wanted to do something visceral, character-driven. They wanted this Merlin to be a politician, druid and a pagan, rather than a white man in his 60s with long, wispy hair and a raspy voice. It was exciting to do something different.
ELLIE JAMES: It’s great to work on a production as a modern person that feels out there and have everyone committed to it as if it’s the way of things. We had a lot of fun. It’s a focus on the natural world rather than anything too fantastical.
DE CAESTEKER: I’m excited about all the things that are familiar with this legend. But what interested me was finding the human side of the character what he was like behind closed doors.
What do you hope audiences will most respond to?
JAMES: We’ve created a unique telling of this story, which for some people may be an issue, but if you want to see the all-white King Arthur, there are other options. We’ve worked consciously. I love that Nathaniel plays Merlin. He was a fantastic choice. Wizard characters have become interchangeable old white men with long beards. There’s nothing new in these interpretations. We’ve done something different that’s hopefully more accessible to more people — there’s more representation. It’s a gritty, humanist telling of the story which, because it steers clear of total fantasy, goes into more universal themes about the human condition.
MARTELLO-WHITE: You could keep doing standard, traditionalist, purist versions of the King Arthur story until 2050 but at what point do you shake it up? Besides the casting, we’ve made radical stylistic choices. It’s bold in that respect.
CAESTECKER: Arthur is focused on the greater good and the notion of ‘kingdom before self’. Now, more than ever, it’s cool, rare and inspiring to see a leader trying to bring people together and find a new and better way to make meaningful change.
The Winter King streams on Showmax from December 4.