The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin

Did You Know?

• The series follows Merlin, the immortal son of the bard Taliesin and Atlantean Princess Charis, chronicling his tragic upbringing, descent into madness, and shocking disappearance.
• Set before King Arthur's birth, Merlin reemerges in Sub-Roman Britain to unite fractured kingdoms against Saxon invaders.
• Tom Sharp's casting came from a self-submitted audition tape without an agent.

Production

In November 2022, The Daily Wire announced plans to adapt the series. In July 2023, Daily Wire Co-CEO Jeremy Boreing took a leave of absence to co-direct the series, which would be filmed in Italy and Hungary and premiere on DailyWire+. Boreing stated the budget was at least $1 million per episode and at least $10 million overall for the season; in June 2026, Semafor reported the total cost as $50 million. British actor Tom Sharp was cast as Merlin in September 2023 as filming began in Europe. Executive Producer Dallas Sonnier noted that Sharp independently auditioned via a self-submitted tape without an agent. The remaining main cast included Rose Reid as Charis, James Arden as Taliesin, Emree Franklin as Morgian, Finney Cassidy as Aurelius, Myles Clohessy as Uther, Brett Cooper as Ganieda, and Alex Laurence Phillips as Pelleas. Additional cast members were Colin Cunningham as Vortigern, Nicholas Boulton as Morcant, Daniel Fathers as Avallach, Thor Rosland as Hengist, and Chick Allan as Gorlas. Filming ran from September to December 2023 in Budapest, Trento, Priverno at Fossanova Abbey, the Gran Sasso d'Italia mountains, and Cinecittà film studio.

Release and reception

The series premiered on January 22, 2026, with seven episodes. Ed Power of The Telegraph gave a positive review, calling it a cheery, cheesy series. Roger Avary praised it, comparing it to John Boorman's Excalibur and other fantasy shows, stating that if one can overlook the creators' political standing, it is as good as classic television. TV Fanatic and Giant Freakin Robot also praised the series, with the latter comparing it to Game of Thrones. Josh Rosenberg of Esquare panned it as terrible and incomprehensible, calling it a discount Game of Thrones.