The Pendragon Cycle’ brings faith-driven Arthurian drama to DailyWire+ (exclusive trailer)

The Daily Wire has released a new trailer for its debut live-action scripted television series, “The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin,” marking the conservative media company’s most ambitious move into episodic storytelling to date.

The fantasy drama, based on the multi-award-winning novels by Stephen R. Lawhead, is set to premiere Jan. 22, 2026, on DailyWire+, the company’s subscription streaming platform. The series reimagines the Arthurian legend not in the familiar medieval era, but in Roman-occupied Britain during the fourth through sixth centuries, a time of political instability, invading forces and the early spread of Christianity.

Unlike traditional tales of knights in shining armor, “The Pendragon Cycle” is rooted in a darker historical moment, as paganism and violence collide with the emerging Christian faith. As barbarian invaders threaten what is known as the “Island of the Mighty,” the story centers on the belief that only those anchored in faith in the one true God can ultimately endure.

The series was created and executive produced by Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing, who also directed select episodes. In a previous statement, Boreing described the project as deeply personal and long in the making.

“The Pendragon Cycle” is “the culmination of a 10-year vision to create culture, not just to criticize it,” he 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. I’m so happy to share our adaptation, and the work of our remarkable cast and crew, with the Daily Wire audience.”

Watch the trailer below

Tom Sharp stars as Merlin, the enigmatic figure at the heart of the legend. The cast also includes Rose Reid, James Arden, Finney Cassidy, Myles Clohessy, Brett Cooper, Alex Laurence Phillips, Daniel Fathers and Emree Franklin.

Boreing executive produces alongside Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro, Daily Wire CEO Caleb Robinson, Dallas Sonnier of Bonfire Legend, Daniel Kresmery of Hero Squared, and Ryan Whitaker of Tirian Films. Producers on the project include: Travis Mills, Jonathan Hay, Amanda Presmyk, Jonathan Halperyn, Jerilyn Esquibel, Augusto Pelliccia, Julius Nasso and Lawhead himself. Whitaker and Jesse V. Johnson also directed episodes of the series.

Sonnier previously told the Daily Signal the series represents “the intersection of great art and Christian values.”

“Our Merlin in these books and in this series represents a man who is deeply dedicated to his faith; he cares more about his country and the future of mankind than he does for his own safety and security,” Sonnier said. “He’s willing to risk his entire life in order to make sure that God reigns sovereign over the land.”

Sonnier celebrated Merlin’s rise as “a wonderfully powerful journey,” but said he’s also “human and deeply flawed.”

While The Daily Wire has previously released feature films, documentaries and animated programming, “The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin” represents its largest investment yet in scripted television.

Boreing previously spoke to The Christian Post about the importance of creating positive and uplifting media, especially for children.

He stressed that "the problem isn't that we lack wonderful content for kids." Rather, it's "that parents can't trust any of the platforms out there."

"You can put your kid down in front of 'Mr. Rogers,' but who knows what it's going to roll directly into," he said. "There are two big jobs for conservatives: We have to make content and build platforms so that parents have a place that they can trust, and kids have entertainment that they actually want to watch."

"This is ground zero in the culture war," Boreing added. "The left wants to preempt parents from being the ones who instill values in their kids. This is a part of the way we fight that."