Seven Kings Must Die: release date and news on The Last Kingdom movie

As always, Uhtred will be drawn into the turmoil and his actions could well decide the fate of the land, as yet more Viking invaders begin making a play for power and territory.

Seven Kings Must Die sees the return of several members of The Last Kingdom cast, while it also adds new faces to the family, including Elaine Cassidy (The Wonder) as Queen Eadgifu.

Here's everything you need to know about The Last Kingdom movie Seven Kings Must Die, from release date to cast and, of course, the action-packed trailer.

Seven Kings Must Die release date

CONFIRMED: The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die is available to stream on Netflix from Friday 14th April 2023.

Filming on the project officially got underway in January 2022, as confirmed by star Alexander Dreymon via Instagram, with the shoot continuing until the end of March.

The production returned to Hungary, where The Last Kingdom has always been filmed, with the star telling RadioTimes.com that the winter weather was unforgiving as ever.

"That's always one of the challenges but I think it always pays off because you just see the cold on the screen," said Dreymon.

"When you see people having a hard time talking because their mouths are frozen, and you see the condensation of the breath in the air, it just gives that grittiness that is such a trademark of the show now."

Seven Kings Must Die cast

Alexander Dreymon returns for the last time as Uhtred of Bebbanburg for Seven Kings Must Die, which is intended to be his final performance in the iconic role.

He is joined by co-stars Mark Rowley and Arnas Fedaravičius, better known as allies Finan and Sihtric, who remain by his side as they storm into epic battles.

Returning cast members from The Last Kingdom series also include Harry Gilby as Aethelstan, Ewan Horrocks as Aelfweard, Cavan Clerkin as Father Pyrlig, James Northcote as Aldhelm, Ilona Chevakova as Ingrith and Steffan Rhodri as King Hywel.

Seven Kings Must Die also stars Elaine Cassidy as Queen Eadgifu (taking over from the unrelated Sonya Cassidy), while Fate: The Winx Saga star Jacob Dudman appears as Uhtred's formerly exiled son, Osbert.

You can also expect appearances from Laurie Davidson (The Sandman) as Aethelstan's adviser, Ingilmundr, and Finnish-Swedish actor Pekka Strang as a fierce new Viking warlord looking to cause havoc.

Unfortunately, due to the considerable time jump between The Last Kingdom season 5 and Seven Kings Must Die, several characters have been written out of the story.

That means there's no return for the likes of Eliza Butterworth (Aelswith), Ruby Hartley (Stiorra), Stefanie Martini (Eadith), Young Uhtred (Finn Elliot) or King Edward (Timothy Innes).

Behind the camera, Seven Kings Must Die is directed by series alum Edward Bazalgette, who has also worked on The Witcher, and is written by Martha Hillier, who is known to fans for scripting seasons 4 and 5.

What is Seven Kings Must Die about?

Seven Kings Must Die takes inspiration from the final three entries in The Last Kingdom book series, and particularly its final instalment, War Lord.

The official synopsis reads: "For a century war has raged through the land between its inhabitants and the Danish invaders. But now a peace has settled with the country nearly united – only Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg, ruling over Northumbria, is yet to pledge his land to the throne.

"But when King Edward dies, the peace is threatened as his two potential heirs, Aethelstan and Aelfweard, battle to claim the crown. When Uhtred hears that Aethelstan – once his ward and protégé – is to fight, he rides to help him secure victory, but the young prince has fallen under a dark influence and is not the same boy Uhtred once knew."

It continues: "Meanwhile, a new threat has reached these shores – the Danish Warrior‐King Anlaf has arrived, hoping to wreak chaos and use the discord for his own ends. As Aethelstan’s actions make enemies across the British Isles, Anlaf brings the king’s enemies together in a great alliance that threatens the vision of uniting England.

"And when the alliance comes seeking Uhtred’s help in their plans, Uhtred faces a choice between those he cares for most, and the dream of a united kingdom."

On the surprise decision to announce a film, executive producer Nigel Marchant said: "In terms of season 5, we felt these two central strands of the story were coming together and it was the natural point to finish the TV series.

"However, we did know there were a few more books following on from where we get to at the end of season 5. So we did start to talk to Netflix fairly early about whether we could tell that end piece of the jigsaw so that it would feel complete. And it was felt that the movie version was the right format to do that."

Interestingly, Marchant went on to claim that Seven Kings Must Die will be perfectly accessible to newcomers to The Last Kingdom franchise, suggesting it may not be strongly connected to the complex continuity of the series.

He added: "Season 5 does feel like the end of the TV series, and the movie will be much more standalone. It’ll be an extra treat for the fans of the TV series, but you could also watch it even if you’ve never seen the TV show."

Seven Kings Must Die trailer

Netflix dropped the action-packed trailer for Seven Kings Must Die last month. Watch now:

If you're looking for more The Last Kingdom content, check out this behind-the-scenes video from the set of Seven Kings Must Die, where the cast attempt to pronounce ancient Norse words. Watch below:

Seven Kings Must Die is coming to Netflix on Friday 14th April 2023. The Last Kingdom seasons 1-5 are streaming now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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