HISTORY today announced casting for its new ten-episode drama series “Knightfall” from A+E Studios in association with Oscar® and Golden Globe® nominee Jeremy Renner’s and Don Handfield’s production company The Combine and Midnight Radio. Joining the cast are Bobby Schofield (“Black Sea,” “Our World War”) as Parsifal, a young man of ordinary birth who will join the Knights Templar seeking revenge, but ultimately finds a higher purpose; Sabrina Bartlett (“DaVinci’s Demons,” “Poldark”) as Princess Isabella, Queen Joan and King Philip’s daughter, her upcoming wedding stands to forge a powerful political alliance for France; Julian Ovenden (“Downton Abbey,” “Person of Interest,” “The Colony”) as De Nogaret, King Philip’s Machiavellian lawyer and right hand man; Sarah-Sofie Boussnina (“The Bridge,” “The Absent One”) as Adelina, as a child she was rescued in the Holy Land by the Templar Knights, but now in her early 20s, she lives on the streets of Paris as a thief; Padraic Delaney (“The Wind That Shakes the Barley,” “The Tudors”) as Gawain, once the greatest swordsman of the Templar Order whose role with them is at a crossroads; Simon Merrells (“Spartacus,” “Dominion”) as Tancrede, a veteran sergeant fanatically devoted to the Templar Knight cause and Olivia Ross (“War and Peace,” “Blowing Louder than the Wind,” “Father of My Children”) as Queen Joan of Navarre, Queen of France and Queen Regnant of Navarre, a devoted mother, warrior, and a formidable diplomat and strategist.
They join previously announced Tom Cullen (“Downton Abbey”) who stars as Landry, a veteran warrior of the Crusades, who becomes the leader of the Templars and serves as the driving force behind their quest to retrieve Christianity’s most prized relic: The Holy Grail. Executive producer Jeremy Renner is expected to guest star. Production on “Knightfall” begins this summer in the Czech Republic and Croatia.
Dominic Minghella of Island Pictures has signed on as an executive producer and showrunner for the series. Among his credits, Minghella created the long-running series “Doc Martin” for ITV in the UK and also served as Executive Producer and Showrunner of the hit series “Robin Hood,” which at the time was the top selling drama for its distributor BBC Worldwide.
The Knights Templar were the most powerful, wealthy and mysterious military order of the Middle Ages, entrusted with protecting the Holy Grail and harboring secrets capable of destroying the Church itself. “Knightfall” goes deep into the inner sanctum of the clandestine world of this legendary brotherhood of warrior monks. From their battles in the Holy Land, to their clashes with both the King of France and Pope Boniface VIII, to the betrayal that would ultimately lead to their tragic dissolution on Friday the 13th – a date which became synonymous with bad luck – the story of the Knights Templar has never been fully told until now. “Knightfall” takes you inside the world to find out who these knights were, how they lived, and what they died believing.
“Knightfall” was created and is executive produced by Don Handfield (“Touchback,” “The Founder,” “Kill the Messenger”) and Richard Rayner (“L.A. Without A Map”), with Renner (“The Avengers,” “American Hustle,” “The Hurt Locker”) also serving as executive producer from The Combine. Executive producers from Midnight Radio are Jeff Pinkner (“Alias,” “Fringe”), Andre Nemec (“Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”), Josh Appelbaum (“Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”) and Scott Rosenberg (“Beautiful Girls”). Dominic Minghella from Island Pictures is an executive producer and showrunner. Jana Bennett, Arturo Interian and Russ McCarroll are the Executives in Charge of Production for HISTORY. “Knightfall” will be distributed internationally by A+E Networks.
