According to his management at Independent Talent Group, Andrew Gower is currently filming a new TV series called The Winter King based on the Warlord Chronicles by best-selling author Bernard Cornwell (The Last Kingdom).
Andrew will play the character of Sansum, who is loosely based on the Cornish saint Samson of Dol, a Catholic priest and later a Bishop. His disciple Derfel Cadarn, an elderly monk, recalls the time of when he met the many famous heroes of Arthurian legend and writes them down on the request of young Queen Igraine. Most of the narrative is recounted in a series of flashbacks to Derfel’s life as a young man, with regular intermissions in the present-day monastery.
Sansum is described as unsympathetic and intriguing. He can’t read and believes Derfel is writing a Christian gospel. We expect that the TV series will take some liberties from the books (as is the case with The Last Kingdom) but we’d tentatively call Sansum a villain on the show.
Variety confirmed production of the series on 4 April 2022 saying the 10-part series will shoot later this year in Wales and the West Country. The book series follows Arthur Pendragon as he evolves from outcast son to legendary warrior and leader King Arthur.
On 4 May 2022, Bristol World reported that filming would also take place at a temporary film set near Bristol including a fortified encampment serving as Caer Cadarn – a fortress which plays a key part in Cornwall’s The Winter King.
The Warlord Chronicles are described as “historical fiction” rather than fantasy by FanSided (despite being based on a myth) and as Cornwell’s best work. The author himself called the book series, which includes novels The Winter King, Enemy of God and Excalibur, “his favourite” of all the books he has written.
An adaptation of the Warlord Chronicles was previously set up at US cabler Epix, but has now moved to Bad Wolf / Sony Pictures / Paramount Plus. Kate Brooke (A Discovery Of Witches, Medici) and Ed Whitmore (Manhunt) will be showrunners with Otto Bathurst (His Dark Materials, Peaky Blinders) as lead director.
Andrew Gower Online 