Prime Video’s THE PENDRAGON CYCLE: RISE OF THE MERLIN is more popular than HBO’s TV-MA series THE HOUSE OF THE DRAGON.
THE PENDRAGON CYCLE is the No. 3 show on Amazon Prime right now. The Daily Wire’s co-founder Jeremy Boreing created and directed the series, The Western Journal’s Michael Austin reported.
Christianity has an important place in the series, which follows Merlin as he becomes a prophet and mentor to King Arthur in Sub-Roman Britain.
“We didn’t sand any of it down, and it turns out you don’t have to,” Boreing said, referring to Christianity. “…This is a story about sacrifice, about faith surviving in unwelcoming places, about a king’s duty.”
Movieguide® gave the series’ first two episodes a -2 rating for violence, sex, magic and nudity.
Part of the review reads, “This is a beautifully made, deeply Christian fantasy epic, and it earns its caution rating honestly. The first two episodes of this Arthurian prequel are captivating and poetic, carried by a heavy, emotional score and an expansive, detailed world. At its center is a strong Christian, moral worldview — a bard who becomes a prophet of the One True God, a princess who leaves false gods behind, a woman’s conversion through her husband’s faith.”
Related: PENDRAGON CYCLE Actress Says Show Puts New Spin on Legend of King Arthur
The series is based on the ’80s book series written by Stephen R. Lawhead.
THE PENDRAGON CYCLE is “the culmination of a 10-year vision to create culture, not just to criticize it,” Boreing said. “Lawhead’s novels present a visceral, masculine Christianity in a world of conflict and mystery. It isn’t saccharine or clean. In short, it is very much like our world.”
The show broke out in Europe first, on July 8, and gained a lot of traction in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Forbes reported. It came to Prime Video US on Sept. 1.
The series stars Brett Cooper, Rose Reid, Tom Sharp, Alex Laurence-Phillips and Paul Clerkin across seven episodes. As of now, there is no renewal for a second season.
“Having seen THE PENDRAGON CYCLE find an audience overseas over the last two months has been so gratifying,” said Boreing. “We believe we made something beautiful and good. We have every intention of continuing to do that in my new venture, and the success of PENDRAGON will only empower that further.”
The series’ popularity proves that audiences crave moral, faith-filled stories that embrace sincere themes. This show is a good alternative for other mainstream series.
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