''Knightfall'' is a historical fiction drama

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

created by

Don Handfield Don Handfield is an American filmmaker, author, and producer. Education and acting career Handfield studied theater and film at Ohio State University, graduating with a degree in journalism in 1993. His first job in media after college was as a ...

and Richard Rayner for the

History channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

. Filmed in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

and

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

, it premiered on December 6, 2017, in the United States. On August 13, 2018, History renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on March 25, 2019. In May 2020, it was announced that the series had been cancelled. ''Knightfall'' recounts the success, fall, persecution, and suppression of the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

, as orchestrated by King

Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (french: Philippe le Bel), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre as Philip I from ...

on October 13, 1307. The series focuses on the fictional Templar leader Landry du Lauzon, a brave warrior discouraged by the Templars' failures in the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...

who is reinvigorated by news that the

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...

has resurfaced.

Cast and characters

Main

Tom Cullen Thomas Cullen (born 17 July 1985) is a Welsh actor and director. He had roles in the independent film ''Weekend (2011 film), Weekend'' (2011), as Anthony Foyle, Viscount Gillingham in the television series ''Downton Abbey'', and as Sir Landry ...

as Landry de Lauzon, a senior brother of the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

and a veteran of the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

, who 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 Siege of Acre may refer to: * Siege of Acre (1104), following the First Crusade *Siege of Acre (1189–1191), during the Third Crusade * Siege of Acre (1263), Baibars laid siege to the Crusader city, but abandoned it to attack Nazareth. *Siege of A ...

, Landry witnesses the failure of the Crusade, the conquest of the

by the Saracens and the loss of the most-prized relic in all of Christendom: the Holy Grail. 15 years later, Landry has his faith shaken and frustrated by 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 is reignited, and Landry leads his fellow Templars on a journey to uncover the reasons behind his mentor's death and location of the Grail. Harry Webster portrays a young Landry in season 1. * Jim Carter as

Pope Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII ( la, Bonifatius PP. VIII; born Benedetto Caetani, c. 1230 – 11 October 1303) was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. The Caetani family was of baronial ...

, a warm and avuncular man and a seasoned religious leader, 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. Simon Haines portrays the younger Father Benedetto in season 2. (main season 1, featured season 2) *

Pádraic Delaney Pádraic Delaney (born 6 November 1977) is an Irish actor known for playing Teddy O'Donovan in the Ken Loach film '' The Wind That Shakes the Barley'', for which he earned an IFTA nomination as well as being named Irish Shooting Star for the 20 ...

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. * Simon Merrells as Tancrède de Hauteville, a veteran Templar fiercely loyal to the order. 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 Julian Mark Ovenden (born 29 November 1976) is an English actor and singer. He has starred on Broadway and West End stages, in television series in both the United Kingdom and United States, in films, and performed internationally as a concert ...

as William 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 Death by burning (also known as immolation) is an execution and murder method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a punishment f ...

as heretics for practising

Catharism Catharism (; from the grc, καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure ones") was a Christian dualist or Gnostic movement between the 12th and 14th centuries which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France. F ...

. 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. Freddie Preston portrays a young de Nogaret in season 2. * Olivia Ross as Queen Joan (season 1), 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, whom she has grown to fear. She and Philip are friends of Landry after he saved them from being murdered by

brigands Brigandage is the life and practice of highway robbery and plunder. It is practiced by a brigand, a person who usually lives in a gang and lives by pillage and robbery. Oxford English Dictionary second edition, 1989. "Brigand.2" first recorded u ...

– against Landry's vows of

celibacy Celibacy (from Latin ''caelibatus'') is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, th ...

, and without Philip's knowledge, the two pursued a secret romance and Joan is secretly pregnant with his child. *

Ed Stoppard Edmund Stoppard (born 16 September 1974) is an English actor. He is the son of playwright Tom Stoppard and doctor Miriam, Lady Hogg. Life Stoppard was born on 16 September 1974 in London, England, the son of playwright Tom Stoppard and Miriam ...

as King Philip, 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 Sabrina Lois Bartlett (born September 1991) is an English actress. She is known for her roles in the BBC One miniseries ''The Passing Bells'' (2014), the third series of the ITV drama ''Victoria'' (2019), and the first series of ''Knightfall'' ...

(main season 1) and

Genevieve Gaunt Genevieve Wilhelmina Gaunt (born 13 January 1991) is an English actress and voice over artist known for portraying Pansy Parkinson in ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' and Wilhelmina "Willow" Moreno Henstridge in '' The Royals''. E ...

(recurring season 2) 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. * Bobby Schofield as Parsifal (season 1), a young peasant farmer who is decent and honest, although is also 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. *

Sarah-Sofie Boussnina Sarah-Sofie Boussnina (born 28 December 1990) is a Danish actress, best known to international audiences for the TV series '' The Bridge'' and ''1864'' (2014). Career In 2018, Boussnina appeared as Martha in Helen Edmundson's film '' Mary Magda ...

as Adelina (season 1), a Jewish 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. * Tom Forbes as Prince Louis of France (season 2), King Philip and Queen Joan's eldest son and heir *

Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the '' Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards ...

as Master Talus (season 2), a veteran Templar who trains the initiates at the Chartres Temple

Recurring

* Nasser Memarzia as Draper, a Templar brother who serves as a doctor * Marco Zingaro as Doctor Vigevano, the French court's doctor * Jim High as Ulric, a Templar brother *

Robert Pugh Robert Pugh (born 11 October 1950) is a Welsh actor, known for his many television appearances, including the role of Craster in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''. Life and career Pugh was born in the Tynte, Mountain Ash and grew up in Cilf ...

(season 1) and Matthew Marsh (season 2) as

Jacques De Molay Jacques de Molay (; c. 1240–1250 – 11 or 18 March 1314), also spelled "Molai",Demurger, pp. 1-4. "So no conclusive decision can be reached, and we must stay in the realm of approximations, confining ourselves to placing Molay's date of birth ...

, the 23rd and last Grand Master of the Knights Templar * Peter O'Meara as Berenger, a Templar brother and the Master of the Chartres Temple

Season 1

Sam Hazeldine Samuel Hazeldine (born 29 March 1972) is an English actor working in film, television and theatre. He is the son of actors James Hazeldine. and Rebecca Moore. Early life Sam Hazeldine was born in Hammersmith, London. He is the son of actors ...

as Marcel De Caux/Godfrey, a Templar brother and the Master of the Paris Temple. Godfrey is a mentor and father figure to Landry. * Cengiz Dervis as Roland, a brigand *

Adam Levy Adam Levy is a jazz guitarist who was a member of Norah Jones's band. Career Levy was born in Encino, California. Two of his uncles and one cousin played guitar, and his mother briefly took lessons. His grandfather, George Wyle, worked for ' ...

as Simon, a Jew and Adelina's father (as well as a survivor of Acre) * Sabrina Barlett as Princess Isabella *

Akin Gazi Akin Gazi (born 15 October 1981) is a British actor. Life and career Gazi was born in North London, in 1981, to Turkish Cypriot parents. He attended Queen Mary, University of London , mottoeng = With united powers , established = 1785 � ...

as Rashid, the leader of the Brotherhood of Light *

Joey Batey Joey Batey (born 1989) is an English actor, musician, singer, and songwriter. He is known for portraying the bard Jaskier in the Netflix fantasy series ''The Witcher'', where he sang " Toss a Coin to Your Witcher", as well other songs featured i ...

as Pierre, a Templar initiate *

Raymond Waring Raymond Waring (born 21 July 1977) is an English actor. He was born in Liverpool and grew up in Runcorn, Cheshire, where he attended St. Chad's Secondary School. In 1994, he was accepted into the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and, in ...

as Daniel * Ben Bradshaw as Chamberlain Marigny * Roy McCrerey as Charles, the Royal Steward * Marcos Franz as Prince Lluis of

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...

Enrique Arce Enrique Javier Arce Temple (born October 8, 1972) is a Spanish television and film actor. Biography Arce was born in Valencia, Spain on 8 October 1972. He originally went to university to study law, but during his fourth year, he decided to mo ...

as Rodrigo of Catalonia, the Catalan Ambassador * Edward Bourne as Nicholas, De Nogaret's assistant *

Oliver Maltman Oliver Maltman is an English actor notable for his appearances in the TV series '' Star Stories'', '' The Kevin Bishop Show'', ''No Heroics'' and '' Clone''. He has also appeared in Mike Leigh's films '' Happy-Go-Lucky'' in 2008, '' Another Yea ...

as Robert, Earl of Oxford, the English Ambassador * Amelia Clarkson as Sophie, Queen Joan's handmaiden *

Claudia Bassols Claudia Bassols Alonso (, ; born October 3, 1979) is a Spanish actress from Barcelona, Spain. (filmed October 2007) Career Bassols graduated from the American School of Barcelona in 1997, earned a degree in Musical Comedy from Coco Comín in ...

as Queen Elena of Catalonia * Jack Sandle as Malraux *

Lourdes Faberes Lourdes Faberes (born ) is a Philippines-born actress based in the United Kingdom. She is best known for her work in television, theatre, and film. She played Pollution in the Amazon series ''Good Omens'', the assassin Altani on History Channel ...

as Altani *

Gina McKee Georgina "Gina" McKee (born 14 April 1964) is an English actress. She won the 1997 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for '' Our Friends in the North'' (1996), and earned subsequent nominations for '' The Lost Prince'' (2003) and '' The Street'' ...

as Landry's mother * Thomas Coombes as Anthony, a Templar * Ben Lamb as Dominic, a Templar * Tony Pritchard as Ballard

Season 2

* David Bowles as Gerard, a Templar brother * Daniel Campbell as Kelton, a Templar initiate who is later admitted as a brother * Brian Caspe as Angus, a Templar brother * Michael James as Quentin, a Templar initiate who is later admitted as a brother * Joseph Ollman as Vasant, a Templar initiate who is later admitted as a brother * Dean Ridge as Rhone, a Templar initiate who is later admitted as a brother * Jirí Weingärtner as Othon, a Templar brother *

Stephen Fewell Stephen Fewell is a British actor who portrays Jason Kane in the audio adventures of Bernice Summerfield. He has also appeared in classical theatre, in various ''Doctor Who'' audio productions, an episode of the 2005 Channel 4 drama ''The Cour ...

as Archbishop Raymond DeGoth and, later, Pope Clement V *

Claire Cooper Claire Elizabeth Cooper (born 26 October 1980) is a British actress, best known for portraying Jacqui McQueen in Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', a character she played from 2006 to 2013. Cooper co-owns clothing rental boutique The Closet ...

as Sister Anne * Clementine Nicholson as Queen Margaret, the wife of Prince Louis. * Salóme R. Gunnarsdóttir as Lydia, a victim of Louis' plot * Louise Bond as Grecia * Grace Carter as Camille

Notable guests

Ryan Early Ryan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) *Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Australia * Division of Ryan, an elector ...

as Reynard (season 1), a mercenary in De Nogaret's employ * James Coombes as Governor De Rouvray of Navarre (season 1) *

Pavel Bezdek Pavel Bezdek (born 1965) is a Czech actor and stunt performer. He has had minor roles in a handful of well-known action movies, as well as being a stunt coordinator in others. He usually takes work for sequences filmed at sets in Prague, a popular ...

as Pascale (season 2) *

Bill Ratner William Gerald Ratner (born February 25, 1947) is an American voice actor, author and solo performance artist. He is best known as the voice of Flint in Hasbro's syndicated TV cartoon '' G.I. Joe''. Career Ratner is best known as the voice o ...

as Raynald (season 2) * Sam Hoare as Gabriel (season 2), a Lazarist knight * Ben Starr as Philippe (season 2)

Episodes

Season 1 (2017–18)

Season 2 (2019)

Production

Development

In January 2016, History announced it had picked up ''Knightfall'' for a 10-episode straight-to-series, executive produced by

Jeremy Renner Jeremy Lee Renner (born January 7, 1971) is an American actor and musician. He began his career by appearing in independent films such as '' Dahmer'' (2002) and '' Neo Ned'' (2005), then supporting roles in bigger films, such as '' S.W.A.T.'' ...

. The series was conceived by Renner's production partner

and Los Angeles-based British writer and journalist Richard Rayner. British writer-producer Dominic Minghella served as

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also the ...

for the first season. ''Knightfall'' recounts the fall, persecution, and burning at the stake of the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

, as orchestrated by

King Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (french: Philippe le Bel), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre as Philip I from 12 ...

on October 13, 1307. Minghella said that the

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

film ''

Arn – The Knight Templar ''Arn: The Knight Templar'' ( sv, Arn: Tempelriddaren) is an epic film based on Jan Guillou's trilogy about the fictional Swedish Knight Templar Arn Magnusson. The film was released to cinemas in Sweden on 17 December 2007 and the sequel, '' ...

'' was one of the main inspirations for the series. A Czech-American co-production presented by History, the first season of ''Knightfall'' was developed and produced by A+E Studios. Dominic Minghella,

Josh Appelbaum Josh Appelbaum is an American television writer, screenwriter, showrunner and producer. Biography Appelbaum is from a Jewish family.Andre Nemec,

Jeff Pinkner Jeff Pinkner (born November 16, 1964) is an American television and movie writer and producer. Life and career Born to a Jewish family,Scott Rosenberg, Barry Jossen,

Jana Bennett Jana Eve Bennett (6 November 1955 – 11 January 2022) was an American-born British media consultant; member of the board of the British Library; member of the board of the Headlong Theatre Company; and Adviser to Ozy Media. Previously she was ...

Douglas Mackinnon Douglas Mackinnon is a Scottish film and television director from Portree, Isle of Skye. He has directed many episodes of television drama and at least three television films. His work includes '' Bodies'', ''Gentlemen's Relish'', ''Robin Hood ...

, Jeremy Renner, Don Handfield, Richard Rayner, and Sonny Postiglione are credited as executive producers, while Philip G. Flores acted as co-executive producer. The season was produced by Michael Wray for the first four episodes and Gideon Amir for the last six episodes. Jason Grote, Alex Shevchenko, David Minkowski and Matthew Stillman acted as co-producers, while David Elliot served as supervising producer. The production team for the first season includes casting director Debbie McWilliams, costume designer Diana Cilliers, composer Andrew Price, production designer Ondrej Nekvasil, editors Nathan D. Gunn for the first, sixth and tenth episodes, Stephen Mark for the second episode, John Coniglio for the third and seventh episodes, Patrick McMahon for the fourth and eighth episode, Peter Mergus for the fifth and ninth episode, and Joe Sawyer for the fifth and sixth episodes, and cinematographer Christopher Manley. On August 13, 2018, it was announced that ''Knightfall'' was renewed for a second season.

Aaron Helbing Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing are American sibling screenwriters who had formerly worked as a team. They are known for their work on the Starz series ''Spartacus'' and '' Black Sails'', and for The CW superhero drama '' The Flash''. They stop ...

was hired as executive producer, writer and

for the second season, replacing Dominic Minghella. ''Knightfall'' actor Simon Merrells confirmed that '' Spartacus: Gods of the Arena'' and '' Spartacus: War of the Damned'' director

Rick Jacobson Rick Jacobson is an American film director, television director and producer, and stage and television actor. Biography A graduate from the California Institute of the Arts film and television program, Rick Jacobson began his professional fi ...

was also working on the series. The production hired a number of European directors for the second season, including Samira Radsi and

Roel Reiné Roel Reiné (born 15 July 1970 in Eindhoven) is a Dutch film director. Occasionally he uses the alias John Rebel (''Bear'', ''Wolf Town''). His production company is called Rebel Film. Career Starting off directing television series and films ...

. The second season consists of eight episodes. A Czech-American co-production presented by History, the second season of ''Knightfall'' was developed and produced by A+E Studios. Aaron Helbing, Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, Barry Jossen, Rick Jacobson, Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris, Don Handfield, Richard Rayner and Jeremy Renner are credited as executive producers, while Russell Rothberg acted as co-executive producer. The season was produced by Michael Wray for the first three episodes and Nina Heyns for the last five episodes. David Minkowski, Matthew Stillman and Cristina Verano acted as co-producers. The production team for the second season includes casting director Suzanne Smith, costume designer Diana Cilliers, composer

Natalie Holt Natalie Ann Holt is a British composer who has worked on numerous film and television projects. She is primarily recognised for her work on several notable productions, including ''Paddington'' (2014) and ''Loki'' (2021). She trained at the Roy ...

, production designer Ondrej Nekvasil, editors Garret Donnelly for the first and fifth episodes, Sang Han for the second and sixth episodes, Debby Germino for the third and seventh episodes and Heather Goodwin Floyd for the fourth and eighth episodes, and cinematographers

Thomas Yatsko Thomas Yatsko is an American cinematographer and television director, known for his work on television series like ''CSI: Miami'', '' Brothers & Sisters'', and ''Fringe''. Career In his capacity as a cinematographer, Yatsko has worked on the tel ...

for the first, fourth, fifth and eighth episodes and Boris Mojsovski for the second, third, sixth and seventh episodes. In May 2020, it was announced that the series had been canceled.

Casting

With the series' renewal, two new main cast members were announced.

was cast as Talus, an old Templar veteran of the

who lived through a decade of captivity in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

, and now tasked with training younger knights. One of his ex-students is Landry, once a master himself but forced to start over after breaking his vows in the first season. Tom Forbes was cast as Prince Louis, the violent and unpredictable son of King Philip.

was cast in the recurring role of Isabella, King Philip's daughter and on her way to becoming the woman who history would call the "she-wolf of France". Gaunt replaced

, who portrayed the princess in season one. Additional recurring roles include Irish actor Peter O'Meara as Chartres Temple Master Berenger, '' Underworld: Blood Wars'' actress Clementine Nicholson as

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

, Prince Louis's wife, and

as Sister Anne.

Filming

Production started with three days of filming during the last week of June 2016 in

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranea ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

's southern

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to the ...

coast, with

''( Outlander)'' as director. Set mainly around the

Walls of Dubrovnik The Walls of Dubrovnik ( hr, Dubrovačke gradske zidine) are a series of defensive stone walls surrounding the city of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia."''...city's founding before the 7th century as a Byzantine castrum on a rocky island named Laus. ...

's Fort Lovrijenac (St. Lawrence Fortress) and the bay of Pile, these scenes depict The Siege of Acre. PAKT Media offered their services, and over 140 Croatian film workers were involved with the production. Mackinnon served as the principal director, handling most episodes.

Metin Hüseyin Metin Hüseyin is a Turkish-Cypriot-British television and film director. Career Hüseyin's debut film, ''Tight Trousers'', was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for Best Short Film in 1989, and in 1998 he received an RTS award and a Britis ...

and

David Petrarca David Petrarca (born November 10, 1965) is an American director and producer of theatre, television and film. He was director at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago from 1988 until 2005. His work as a director includes HBO's ''Boardwalk Empire'', ...

(''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of '' A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the fir ...

'') also directed a block each. ''Knightfall'' was shot primarily in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

, with its base at the

Barrandov Studios Barrandov Studios is a set of film studios in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest film studio in the country and one of the largest in Europe. Several major Hollywood productions have been made here, including '' Mission Impossible'', ' ...

. Several exteriors imitating medieval Paris were built in surrounding suburbs and villages, including Průhonice, and

Doksany Doksany (german: Doxan) is a municipality and village in Litoměřice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants. History The oldest settlement dates back between 4500 and 2500 BC. In 1993, arc ...

. Streets in

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...

and Švihov Castle were utilized. Filming started on July 8. 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''. According to

, the main cast had a two-and-a-half week "boot camp" with French

stuntman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

and fight choreographer Cédric Proust. Cullen had taken fencing classes in the past, but had not swung a sword in eight years. The total cost for the season was CZK 1.1 billion. On August 26, 2016, a fire broke out at the

backlot A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction. Uses Some movie studios build a wide variety of ...

of Barrandov Studios, destroying the exterior sets for ''Knightfall'', with an estimated damage of 100 million CZK (US$4.5 million). Only a small part of the set, representing a medieval city, was saved. The following Monday, shooting resumed at another location in the city. The fire affected the production schedule, but the production was not to be moved to another city, and would focus on street locations. David Minkowski, a senior producer at

Stillking Films Stillking Films is a production company based in the Czech Republic. Stillking Films is the biggest production company in the Czech Republic. History Stillking was founded by Matthew Stillman in 1993. The company initially produced music videos a ...

, 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,. Filming for the first season wrapped in mid-December 2016. The filming of the second season wrapped on December 19, 2018. Other locations in the Czech Republic that were used for filming the series included the Doksany Monastery, Točník Castle,

Kost Castle Kost Castle is a Gothic castle in Libošovice municipality in Jičín District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It lies in the nature region of Bohemian Paradise and is owned by Kinský dal Borgo noble family. History and d ...

near

Libošovice Libošovice is a municipality and village in Jičín District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Dobšice, Malá Lhota, Malechovice, Meziluží, Nepřívěc, Podkost ...

Zvíkov Castle Zvíkov (german: Klingenberg), often called "the king of Czech castles",Petr David, Vladimír Soukup, Lubomír Čech, Wonders of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, pg. 138, Euromedia Group (2004), is a castle in Zvíkovské Podhradí municipality, abo ...

and the Medieval Open-Air Řepora museum.

Release

A teaser trailer debuted on February 1, 2017, on

History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

, depicting a bloody Templar helmet. The series premiered on December 6, 2017. The second season premiered on March 25, 2019. The series was pre-sold to SBS in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. HBO, its subsidiary

Cinemax Cinemax is an American pay television, cable, and satellite television network owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Developed as a companion "maxi-pay" service complementing the offerings shown on parent ...

, and FilmBox Premium also obtained the rights in central and eastern Europe. History, which developed the original series, aired ''Knightfall'' in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

Reception

Critical reception

On review aggregation website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, season 1 had an approval rating of 55% based on 20 reviews. On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the series has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100, based on reviews from 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". For the second season, Rotten Tomatoes listed only four reviews, with three favorable; two of the reviews praised the addition of Mark Hamill with one commenting that "the barely recognizable Star Wars icon carries every scene in which he appears". On the self proclaimed "Community Watchdog" website, Things You Should Be Told, ''Knightfall'' was listed as second on the list of "Entertaining but Historically Inaccurate Movies & Series of All Time". Its ranking as Historically Inaccurate was second only to the movie ''Braveheart'' which coincidentally covers the same general time period and overlapping historical events and people.

Accolades

''Knightfall'' was nominated for Best Fantasy Television Series at the

44th Saturn Awards The 44th Saturn Awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films and honoring the best in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and other genres belonging to genre fiction in film, television, home entertainment and loca ...

Other media

In May 2017, it was announced that

A+E Networks A&E Networks (stylized as A+E NETWORKS) is an American multinational broadcasting company that is a 50–50 joint venture between Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company through its General Entertainment Content division. The company ...

had partnered with

Titan Publishing Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of Titan Entertainment Group, which was established in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cinema reference books; and graphic novels and co ...

to develop original novels and an eight-part comic book series based on the series. In 2019, a tie-in novel based on the series, ''The Infinite Deep'', was released by author David B Coe.

References

External links

*
Official podcast
* {{Portal bar, Christianity, Catholicism, History, Television 2010s American drama television series 2017 American television series debuts 2019 American television series endings American action television series American adventure television series Costume drama television series Czech television series English-language television shows History (American TV channel) original programming Holy Grail Period television series Serial drama television series Television series about the Crusades Television series set in the Middle Ages Knights Templar in popular culture Television shows scored by Natalie Holt Czech historical television series