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Knightfall (TV series)

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Knightfall
GenreHistorical fiction
Created byDon Handfield and Richard Rayner
Starring
ComposerAndrew Price
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Czech Republic[1]
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Michael Wray
  • Gideon Amir
Production locationsPrague, Czech Republic
Dubrovnik, Croatia
CinematographyChristopher Manley
Editors
  • Nathan D. Gunn
  • Stephen Mark
  • John Coniglio
  • Patrick McMahon
  • Peter Mergus
  • Joe Sawyer
Running time42–45 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHistory
ReleaseDecember 6, 2017 (2017-12-06) –
present (present)

Knightfall is a historical fiction drama television series created by Don Handfield and Richard Rayner for the History channel.[1] Filmed in Czech Republic and Croatia, it premiered on December 6, 2017 in the United States.[2]

Knightfall recounts the fall, persecution, and burning at the stake of the Knights Templar, as orchestrated by Philip IV of France on October 13, 1307.[3] The series focuses on Templar leader Sir Landry du Lauzon, a brave warrior discouraged by the Templars' failures in the Holy Land who is reinvigorated by news that the Holy Grail has resurfaced.[4]

Cast

Main

  • Tom Cullen as Sir Landry du Lauzon, a senior brother of the Knights Templar and a veteran of the Crusades, Landry is a noble, courageous, and headstrong knight, who began his service with the Templars as Godfrey's squire - Godfrey tutored and trained him into a skilled and respected warrior monk. After the Siege of Acre, Landry witnesses the failure of the Crusade, the conquest of the Holy Land by the Saracens and the loss of the most-prized relic in all of Christendom: The Holy Grail. 15 years later, Landry, his faith shaken and frustrated with the Order's inactivity, becomes Master and Commander of the Paris Temple after Godfrey's assassination, the subsequent investigation revealing the Grail is now in France. His hope reignited, Landry leads his fellow Templars on a journey to uncover the reasons behind his mentor's death and location of the Grail.[4]
  • Jim Carter as Pope Boniface VIII, the Pope of Christianity, Boniface is a warm and avuncular man and a seasoned politician, who acts as a stabilizing, incorruptible force within a corrupt medieval world. The Templar Knights value him as their Holy leader, and they’re willing to execute his orders without question. Boniface personally appoints Landry the new Master and Commander of the Paris Temple after Godfrey's assassination and entrusts him the mission of finding the Holy Grail, hoping to use it to launch a new Crusade and reclaim the Holy Land.
  • Pádraic Delaney as Gawain, the greatest swordsman of the Templar Order who was crippled by a leg injury sustained in the Siege of Acre while protecting Landry. 15 years later, after Godfrey's assassination, he is told by the new Master Landry he can no longer fight. Unable to serve in the field, Landry assigns him as the training master to the Order's initiates, teaching future knights, including the commoner Parsifal. Feeling his heroism is no longer celebrated, he struggles to maintain his loyalty to the Order, just as he struggles to come to terms with his physical limitations. Gawain feels that, of all the Templars, he has the most to gain from the recovery of the Holy Grail, due to its reported ability to heal.[5][6]
  • Simon Merrells as Tancrede, a veteran Templar fiercely loyal to the order.[5] Unlike most Templars, Tancrede was once married, but he gave up married life in order to join the Templars. As the steadfast, brave, and resolute knight who venerates his Templar vows above all else, Tancrede imagines himself as the heir apparent to Godfrey, the Master and Commander of the Paris Temple, although he concedes to Landry following Godfrey's assassination. With the revelation that the Holy Grail is now in France, Tancrede aids and advises Landry on his quest, and comes to understand what his role must be.
  • Julian Ovenden as Guillaume de Nogaret, King Philip's scheming counsellor, pragmatic lawyer and right-hand man. De Nogaret is unashamedly godless, and a calculating manipulator ahead of his time. He is driven to destroy the power of organized religion, in revenge for his parents being burned at the stake as heretics. Cool and supremely calculating, De Nogaret is more involved in the quest for the Holy Grail than he appears. He also secretly desires Philip's daughter, Isabella, while seeking to make her the next Queen of England.[5]
  • Olivia Ross as Queen Joan of France and Navarre, the Queen of France and Queen Regnant of Navarre, Joan is both King Philip's wife and a powerful Queen who is a formidable diplomat and strategist. Joan is a devoted mother who seeks to ensure her children, especially her daughter, marry for love rather than duty like she was to Philip, who she has grown to fear. She and Philip are friends of Landry after he saved them from being murdered by brigands - against Landry's vows of celibacy, and without Philip's knowledge, the two pursued a secret romance and Joan is secretly pregnant with his child.[5]
  • Ed Stoppard as King Philip IV of France, the King of France, known for his good looks (hence the nickname “The Fair”), Philip struggles both as a King and a husband. He seeks to control his family while dealing with the politics and power moves that are an inevitable part of running his kingdom. Philip longs to be a great monarch and to transform France into the greatest power in Europe. He and Joan are friends of Landry after he saved them from being murdered by brigands, and Philip considers him a teacher, confidant and friend (although he is unaware of their secret romance).
  • Sabrina Bartlett as Princess Isabella, Queen Joan and King Philip’s daughter. Isabella is a beautiful, energetic and self-aware young woman whose youth belies a capacity to go to extraordinary lengths to get what she wants. Now of legal age, her impending marriage promises a strong political alliance for France.[5]
  • Bobby Schofield as Parsifal, a young peasant farmer who is decent and honest, although is brash and recklessly brave; aiming to do what he feels is right, even faced with great peril. He was happily engaged to a young woman, Marie, but is left consumed with grief and a desire for vengeance when she is murdered by Godfrey's assassins. Adrift and wanting to pursue her killers, he accepts an offer from Landry to join the Templars.[5]
  • Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Adelina, a homeless thief who previously lived in Acre, but was rescued as a child by Landry and the Templars. Now living in France with her father, she is secretly involved with the unknown forces surrounding the Holy Grail.[5]

Recurring

  • Sam Hazeldine as Marcel De Caux/Godfrey, a Templar leader who is Master and Commander of the Paris Temple, Godfrey is a mentor and father figure to Landry. As the master, Godfrey is their greatest warrior, a man of immense faith and wisdom who is respected by all Templars, and Landry considers him a trusted master who was the father he never had. Godfrey is assassinated in an ambush by a group of mercenaries, posing as highwaymen. The subsequent investigation revealing the Grail is now in France - Godfrey had been concealing many secrets surrounding the Grail, and was protecting it from unknown forces.
  • Nasser Memarzia as Draper, a Templar
  • Cengiz Dervis as Roland, a brigand
  • Ryan Early as Reynard, a mercenary in De Nogaret's employ
  • Akin Gazi as Rashid
  • Joey Batey as Pierre, a Templar initiate
  • Jan Blahák and Raymond Waring as Daniel
  • Ben Bradshaw as Chamberlain Marigny
  • Roy McCrerey as Charles, the Royal Steward
  • Marcos Franz as Prince Lluis of Catalonia
  • Enrique Arce as Rodrigo of Catalonia, the Catalan Ambassador
  • Edward Bourne as Nicholas, De Nogaret's assistant
  • Oliver Maltman as Robert, Earl of Oxford, the English Ambassadorù
  • Harry Webster as young Landry
  • Raphael Acloque as Nassir
  • Amelia Clarkson as Sophie, Queen Joan's handmaiden
  • Marco Zingaro as Doctor Vigevano, Joan's doctor
  • Claudia Bassols as Queen Elena of Catalonia
  • Jim High as Ulric
  • Jack Sandle as Malraux
  • Vikash Bhai as Khalil

Guest

  • Sai Bennett as Marie, Parsifal's betrothed
  • Adam Levy as Simon
  • Chris Dunkley-Clark as Seth, a brigand
  • Ayya Graoui and Sofia Marangoni as young Adelina
  • David Sterne as De Beaujeu
  • Benjamin Hoetjes as Angus
  • Ben Loyd-Holmes as Petit
  • Simon Lenagan as Bellrose
  • Craig McGinlay as Aldred
  • Rory Bolan as younger Landry
  • Nuria Casas as Silvia
  • Francis Johnson as Malik
  • Peter Marinker as Jonas
  • Pablo Raybould as Jesper
  • Lourdes Faberes as Altani
  • Jeremy Renner[7]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"You'd Know What to Do"Douglas MackinnonDon Handfield & Richard RaynerDecember 6, 2017 (2017-12-06)1.77[8]
While in the Holy Land in the midst of a 43 day siege during the Battle of Acre of 1291, Templar knight Brother Landry is thrown into a fight with the Sultan of the Mamluks, along with protecting the Holy Grail. Fifteen years later, while stationed in Paris, Landry, now a battle-worn warrior of the Holy Wars, fears that the Order has lost its purpose. However, when the blood of Master Godfrey is shed, it forces Landry and his brothers to take up arms again and try to get the Grail back.
2"Find Us the Grail"Douglas MacKinnonDon Handfield & Richard RaynerDecember 13, 2017 (2017-12-13)1.32[9]
Pope Boniface arrives in Paris to learn of the grail's whereabouts and make Landry Master of the Temple. However, the pope's unexpected arrival threatens de Nogaret's carefully laid plans to marry King Philip and Queen Joan's daughter, Princess Isabella to Prince Edward of England. Later, Landry and Parsifal seek vengeance on Roland, the highwaymen's leader, who killed Godfrey and Marie, Parsifal's fiancee, after the farmer came to the Templar master's aid.
3"The Black Wolf and the White Wolf"David PetrarcaDominic MinghellaDecember 20, 2017 (2017-12-20)1.48[10]
After finding a clue of a family crest, Landry and Tancrede investigate the Holy Grail's whereabouts. Their journey leads them to Godfrey's childhood home where they discover his origin as Marcel, the youngest son of Baron de Caux. The story told by his older brother Raymond is cut short from an attack by Saracen assassins. Parsifal starts training to become a Templar, but he must first learn to be a monk. De Nogaret's plots against Isabella's union to Prince Lluís.
4"He Who Discovers His Own Self, Discovers God"David PetrarcaDavid Elliot & Jason GroteDecember 27, 2017 (2017-12-27)1.08[11]
When a Saracen prisoner is killed in cold blood inside the temple, Gwaine conducts an inquiry into the man's murder. In order to learn about the victim's symbol, Landry seeks out Jonas of the Ardennes, a pagan who helps him remember his childhood meeting with Malraux, a Cathar from the Brotherhood of Light. Isabella is betrayed by de Nogaret and her purity is tested days before her wedding to Lluís. Joan is with Landry's child and has to cover it up with Philip.
5"Hard Blows Will Banish the Sin"Metin HüseyinSharon Hoffman & Vivian TseJanuary 3, 2018 (2018-01-03)1.19[12]
Fearing an attack by the English after the Earl of Oxford goes missing from his chambers, King Philip asks the Knights Templar to watch over Princess Isabella's wedding at the Palace. While personally protecting Queen Joan, Landry learns she is with his child. Gwaine and Parsifal investigate the Earl's personal effects and find Greek Fire, a deadly substance used by a Mongol mercenary alchemist Tencrede knew. But it seems De Nogaret is behind a massive cover-up.
6"The Pilgrimage of Chains"Metin HüseyinSonny PostiglioneJanuary 10, 2018 (2018-01-10)N/A
After an enduring torture from the Saracens, Landry returns to the temple in chains and shackled. The Saracens have agreed to give up the instructions of the scroll left by Godfrey for Landry, leading him to The Grail, under the condition of him giving up one of his Templar brothers, Tancred. In the Royal Palace, De Nogaret's plan is revealed by Isabella and he faces the death penalty for treason.
7"And Certainly Not the Cripple"[13]UnknownUnknownJanuary 17, 2018 (2018-01-17)N/A
8"IV"[13]UnknownUnknownJanuary 24, 2018 (2018-01-24)N/A
9"Fiat!"[13]UnknownUnknownJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)N/A
10"Do You See the Blue?"[13]UnknownUnknownFebruary 7, 2018 (2018-02-07)N/A

Production

Development

File:Tom Cullen.jpg
Welsh actor Tom Cullen plays Sir Landry in the series.

In January 2016, History announced it had picked up Knightfall for a 10-episode straight-to-series, executive produced by and likely guest starring actor Jeremy Renner.[14][15] The series was conceived by Renner's production partner Don Handfield and Los Angeles-based British writer and journalist Richard Rayner.[16] British writer-producer Dominic Minghella serves as showrunner.[5]

A Czech-American co-production presented by History, Knightfall was developed and produced by A+E Studios. Dominic Minghella, Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, Barry Jossen, Jana Bennett, Douglas MacKinnon, Jeremy Renner, Don Handfield, Richard Rayner, and Sonny Postiglione are credited as executive producers, while Philip G. Flores acts as co-executive producer.[16][17] The series was produced by Michael Wray for the first four episodes and Gideon Amir for the fifth to sixth episodes. Jason Grote, Alex Shevchenko, David Minkowski and Matthew Stillman act as co-producers, while David Elliot serves as supervising producer.[18]

The production team includes casting director Debbie McWilliams, costume designer Diana Cilliers, composer Andrew Price, production designer Ondrej Nekvasil, editors Nathan D. Gunn for the first and sixth episodes, Stephen Mark for the second episode, John Coniglio for the third episode, Patrick McMahon for the fourth episode, Peter Mergus for the fifth episode, and Joe Sawyer for the fifth and sixth episodes, and cinematographer Christopher Manley.[18]

Filming

The production started with three days of filming during the last week of June in Dubrovnik on Croatia's southern Adriatic coast, with Douglas Mackinnon (Outlander) as director.[19][20][21] Set mainly around the Walls of Dubrovnik's Fort Lovrijenac (St. Lawrence Fortress) and the bay of Pile, these scenes will depict The Siege of Acre.[6][22] PAKT Media is offering services, and over 140 Croatian film workers will be involved with the production.[23]

Mackinnon will serve as the principal director, handling most episodes. Metin Hüseyin and David Petrarca (Game of Thrones) will also direct a block each. Knightfall will shoot primarily in Prague, Czech Republic,[24] with its base at the Barrandov Studios. Several exteriors imitating medieval Paris has been built in surrounding suburbs/villages including Průhonice, and Doksany. Streets in Old Town and Švihov Castle will also be utilized.[25] Filming started on July 8. This is the same studio that was used for the TV series Borgia, season 2 of Legends, Casino Royale, and The Bourne Identity. According to Barrandov CEO Petr Tichý, the studio was chosen partially based on the quality of the 15th century interior they had previously built for Borgia.[26] This total cost for the series will be CZK 1.1 billion.[27]

According to Tom Cullen, the main cast had a two and a half week "boot camp" with French stuntman and fight choreographer Cédric Proust. Cullen had taken fencing classes note past, but hadn’t swung a sword in about eight years.[28]

On August 26, 2016, a fire broke out at the backlot of Barrandov Studios, destroying the exterior sets for Knightfall, with estimated damage of 100 million CZK ($4.5 million USD).[29][30] Only a small part of the set, representing a medieval city, was saved. The following Monday, shooting resume at another location in the city. The fire will have an impact on the production schedule but the production will not be moved to another city and will focus on street locations. David Minkowski, a senior producer at Stillking Films, added "In conjunction with our insurers and Barrandov construction, we are planning to rebuild the destroyed backlot set as soon as possible and complete filming in Czech Republic," he added.[31]

Filming wrapped up in mid December 2016.[32]

Marketing

A teaser trailer debuted on February 1, 2017 on History Channel, depicting a bloody Templar helmet. The series premiered on December 6, 2017.[2]

Broadcast

The series was pre-sold to SBSTwo in Australia. HBO, its subsidiary Cinemax, and FilmBox Premium also obtained the rights in Central and Eastern Europe. History, which developed the original series, will air Knightfall in North America.[33]

Reception

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 60% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 5.25/10.[34] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the series has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[35]

Other media

A+E Networks has partnered with Titan Publishing to develop original novels and an eight-part comic book series based on the series. Under the licensing agreement, Titan will work closely with the series creators and writers to craft original stories that expand the rich world of Knightfall into new adventures and crossover storylines. This deal was announced Licensing Expo 2017. The first of two novels and comic book series will debut alongside the upcoming series launch, and will be available online and at comic and bookstores everywhere. Additionally, the comic book series will be compiled in two bound collections available in the graphic novel section of booksellers.[36]

References

  1. ^ a b Blaga, Iulia (July 28, 2016). "American/Czech Series Knightfall Starts Shooting in Croatia". FilmNewEurope. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "After 'Vikings', History Channel Brings The Knights Templar To TV With 'Knightfall'". MoviePilot.
  3. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 6, 2016). "History Orders Jeremy Renner-Produced Drama Knightfall to Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  4. ^ a b Wagmeister, Elizabeth (May 13, 2016). "Tom Cullen to Star in Jeremy Renner's History Series Knightfall". Variety. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Andreeva, Nellie (June 14, 2016). "Knightfall: History Sets Cast for Jeremy Renner-Produced Drama Series". Deadline.com. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Pádraic lands TV role as hero knight - Independent.ie". Independent.
  7. ^ Otterson, Joe (January 6, 2016). "Jeremy Renner Drama Series Knightfall Greenlit by History". TheWrap. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  8. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 7, 2017). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.6.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  9. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 14, 2017). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.13.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  10. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 21, 2017). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.20.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  11. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 28, 2017). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.27.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  12. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (January 4, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.3.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  13. ^ a b c d "Shows A-Z - knightfall on history". The Futon Critic. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  14. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 6, 2016). "History Orders Knightfall Drama Series, Jeremy Renner To Produce & Guest Star". Deadline.com. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  15. ^ "History orders Knightfall series featuring Jeremy Renner". UPI. January 6, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  16. ^ a b "History Greenlights Original Drama Series Knightfall" (Press release). A+E Networks. January 6, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  17. ^ Kit, Borys (June 3, 2016). "Sam Raimi Tackling Tornado Heist Thriller for Warner Bros". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  18. ^ a b Knightfall. Season 1. December 2017. History.
  19. ^ "Filming Starts in Dubrovnik for History Channel Series". Croatia Week. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  20. ^ "New Historical American Drama Knightfall Filming in Dubrovnik". Croatia Week. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  21. ^ "U Dubrovniku se postavljaju kulise za snimanje nove americke povijesne serije". Poslovni dnevnik (in Croatian). Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  22. ^ Tutnjevic, Zeljko (June 27, 2016). "Filming of Knightfall in Dubrovnik". The Dubrovnik Times. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  23. ^ Blaga, Iulia (April 17, 2016). "American/Czech Series Knightfall Starts Shooting in Croatia" (in Croatian). FilmNewEurope. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  24. ^ "Jeremy Renner To Produce & Guest Star Knightfall". Stillking.com. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  25. ^ Šťastný, Dimír (July 11, 2016). "Mezinárodní filmové produkce se vrátily do Česka Zdroj" (in Czech). Pražský deník. Retrieved July 11, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ Dušan Kütner (3 June 2016). "Na Barrandově vznikne sága o templářích Knightfall za stovky milionů". E15.cz (in Czech). Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  27. ^ Willoughby, ian (June 13, 2016). "HN: Filmmakers expected to spend CZK 5 billion in CR this year". Radio Prague. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  28. ^ "Knightfall - Tom Cullen Interview on Playing a Templar Knight". 22 November 2017.
  29. ^ "Dřevěná Paříž na Barrandově lehla popelem. Škoda v ateliérech šplhá ke 100 milionům" (in Czech). Aktualne.cz. August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  30. ^ "Fire Causes Significant Damage on Set of History's Knightfall'in Prague". Variety. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  31. ^ Kozlov, Vladimir (August 29, 2016). "HN: History's 'Knightfall' Series to Continue Shooting in Prague After Fire". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  32. ^ "Knightfall's Tom Cullen - WORLD SCREEN". WorldScreen. 22 November 2016.
  33. ^ "MIPTV: Jeremy Renner's 'Knightfall' Conquers Multiple Territories for A+E". The Hollywood Reporter.
  34. ^ "Knightfall: Season 1 (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  35. ^ "Knightfall - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  36. ^ "A+E Networks crown Titan Books for Knightfall books and comics". Licensing.biz.
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