The Last Kingdom writer says spin-off would be "very hard"
Could the series survive without Uhtred?
The Last Kingdom writer Martha Hillier has said that it would be "very hard" to launch a spin-off from the historical drama, as the saga comes to a close with Seven Kings Must Die.
Based on the novels by Bernard Cornwell, the series and sequel film chronicles the life of Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon) against the backdrop of England's tumultuous formation.
With the story now winding down, some fans are calling for the world of The Last Kingdom to continue with a spin-off series, although Hillier told RadioTimes.com she isn't sure that such a project would be viable.
"I think it would be very hard," she began. "You'd have to find a character as special as Uhtred and I think that would be hard because, actually, those sort of leading men... We think that there must be loads of them out there, but I think they're really quite hard to find."
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"So I think it might have to be ever so slightly different," continued Hillier. "I don't know, but no one has spoken to me about that. There is nothing in the works, or if there is I haven't been asked about it."
When asked which character she would like to write a spin-off for in a dream scenario, Hillier added that she simply couldn't decide as she loved them all so much.
Some fans have questioned whether Seven Kings Must Die is truly the end for Uhtred, given that The Last Kingdom season 5 was previously pitched as the final chapter before the surprise announcement of the film.
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Unfortunately, it does indeed seem that this is the end of the line.
When asked if he sees any route back to Uhtred, star Dreymon told RadioTimes.com: "As of now, I don't. But who knows? It's not the plan at the moment, for sure."
Seven Kings Must Die reunites Dreymon with The Last Kingdom cast members Mark Rowley, Arnas Fedaravičius, Cavan Clerkin and Harry Gilby, while also enlisting a number of new faces.
Seven Kings Must Die is available to stream on Netflix from Friday 14th April 2023. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
