Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to Play William the Conquerer in ‘King and Conqueror’ TV Series

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau gets the sword back in his hands.

The Game of Thrones star collaborates with James Norton (Happy Valley) to co-lead an 11th century historical drama series based on William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings.

The BBC and CBS Studios project is called King and Conqueror and is by writer Robert Johnson (Sherlock Holmes) and with a premiere directed by Baltasar Kormákur (Everest).

King and Conqueror “is the story of a clash that has defined the future of a country – and a continent – ​​for a thousand years, whose roots go back decades and extend through a pair of interconnected family dynasties, vying for power in two countries and a raging sea. Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy were two men who would meet at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; two allies without any goal on the British throne, forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of the crown.”

Norton plays Harold, Earl of Wessex, and will also executive produce through his production company Rabbit Track Pictures, and Coster-Waldau is William, Duke of Normandy, who will also direct an episode and serve as executive producer.

Sue Deeks, the BBC’s head of program acquisition, says (in a quote with a historical spoiler): “In Britain we learn about William the Conqueror, the Battle of Hastings and the gruesome death of King Harold in our history lessons at school – but those headlines are all the ones most of us can remember. King and Conqueror will bring Harold and William to life, depicting their lives, loves and families, and the gripping, high-stakes power play that led to their fateful meeting in 1066. With incredible talent both in front and behind the camera, I can’t wait for this exciting project is being realized.”

“We are happy to collaborate with James, Nikolaj, Baltasar and the entire creative team 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 been around for almost a thousand years, 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 on screen with our star-studded cast.”

Other executive producers include Kormákur for RVK Studios, Robert Taylor for The Development Partnership, Dave Clarke and Richard Halliwell for Shepherd Content, Ed Clarke, Robert Jones and Lindsey Martin of CBS Studios.

The series is distributed by Paramount Global outside the United Kingdom and will begin production in 2024.