Merlin and the War of the Dragons
Encyclopedia
Merlin and the War of the Dragons is a 2008 fantasy film produced by The Asylum
, based loosely on the legends of King Arthur
. It was filmed entirely on location in Wales
.
, Merlin
(Simon Lloyd Roberts), is already active and now serves under King Vortigern
(Hefin Wyn).
Soon after Vortigern's coronation, a large army of giant, fire-breathing dragons
land in Britain and begin to terrorize the land, setting fire to buildings and feasting on any who are unable to escape. Due to their size and number, the dragons threaten the very existence of Britain itself, and Vortigern instructs Merlin to lead an army against the dragons, ordering his best generals — Hengist
(Iago McGuire) and Uther
(Dylan Jones
) — to aid Merlin in any way possible.
With the help of Vortigern and his generals, Merlin begins to think of ways to defeat the dragons, who are growing stronger every day whilst Britain grows weaker. Using magic and knowledge, Merlin devises a plan that will ultimately decide the fate of British history...
The Asylum
The Asylum is an American film studio and distributor which focuses on producing low-budget, usually direct-to-video productions. The studio has produced titles that capitalize on productions by major studios; these titles have been dubbed "mockbusters" by the press.-History:The Asylum was founded...
, based loosely on the legends of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
. It was filmed entirely on location in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Plot
In Pre-England Britain, sometime before the birth of King ArthurKing Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
(Simon Lloyd Roberts), is already active and now serves under King Vortigern
Vortigern
Vortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
(Hefin Wyn).
Soon after Vortigern's coronation, a large army of giant, fire-breathing dragons
European dragon
European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων,...
land in Britain and begin to terrorize the land, setting fire to buildings and feasting on any who are unable to escape. Due to their size and number, the dragons threaten the very existence of Britain itself, and Vortigern instructs Merlin to lead an army against the dragons, ordering his best generals — Hengist
Hengest
Hengist and Horsa are figures of Anglo-Saxon, and subsequently British, legend, which records the two as the Germanic brothers who led the Angle, Saxon, and Jutish armies that conquered the first territories of Great Britain in the 5th century AD...
(Iago McGuire) and Uther
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur.A few minor references to Uther appear in Old Welsh poems, but his biography was first written down by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae , and Geoffrey's account of the character was used in...
(Dylan Jones
Dylan Jones
Dylan Jones is a journalist who is editor of British GQ. Having won the BSME Editor of the Year Award four times during his tenure at GQ, Jones was also recognised for the Brand Building Initiative of the Year 2007 for the annual GQ Men of the Year Awards.Jones attended Central Saint Martins...
) — to aid Merlin in any way possible.
With the help of Vortigern and his generals, Merlin begins to think of ways to defeat the dragons, who are growing stronger every day whilst Britain grows weaker. Using magic and knowledge, Merlin devises a plan that will ultimately decide the fate of British history...
Cast
- Nia Ann - Lady Nimue
- Ceri Bostock - Gwyneth
- Carys Eleri - Lady Vivianne
- Ruthie Gwilym - Midwife
- William Huw - Torm
- Dylan JonesDylan JonesDylan Jones is a journalist who is editor of British GQ. Having won the BSME Editor of the Year Award four times during his tenure at GQ, Jones was also recognised for the Brand Building Initiative of the Year 2007 for the annual GQ Men of the Year Awards.Jones attended Central Saint Martins...
- UtherUther PendragonUther Pendragon is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur.A few minor references to Uther appear in Old Welsh poems, but his biography was first written down by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae , and Geoffrey's account of the character was used in... - Iago McGuire - HengistHengestHengist and Horsa are figures of Anglo-Saxon, and subsequently British, legend, which records the two as the Germanic brothers who led the Angle, Saxon, and Jutish armies that conquered the first territories of Great Britain in the 5th century AD...
- Jürgen ProchnowJürgen ProchnowJürgen Prochnow is a German actor. His most well-known roles internationally have been as the sympathetic submarine captain in Das Boot , Duke Leto Atreides I in Dune , the minor, but important role of Neo-Stalinist dictator General Ivan Radek in Air Force One and the villain Maxwell Dent in...
- The Mage - Simon Lloyd Roberts - MerlinMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
- Joseph StaceyJoseph Stacey-Career:Stacey began his acting career as a stand in on the set of the 2006 film Half Light which starred Demi Moore. He then went on to train at The Arden School of Theatre and after graduating in 2008 he played the role of Vendiger, Merlins Arch nemesis, in the Asylum film Merlin and the War of...
- Vendiger - Iona Thonger - Ingraine
- Hefin Wyn - VortigernVortigernVortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
- Billy JoeBilly JoeBilly Joe may refer to:* Billy Joe , American football player and coach* Billie Joe Armstrong , American rock musician* Billy Crawford , Filipino musician and actor...
- is awesome
See also
- DragonquestDragonquest (film)Dragonquest is a 2009 fantasy film produced by The Asylum, and the third fantasy film by the company after Dragon in 2006 and Merlin and the War of the Dragons in 2008...
- A 2009 film2009 in filmThe year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
also by The AsylumThe AsylumThe Asylum is an American film studio and distributor which focuses on producing low-budget, usually direct-to-video productions. The studio has produced titles that capitalize on productions by major studios; these titles have been dubbed "mockbusters" by the press.-History:The Asylum was founded... - MerlinMerlin (TV series)Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur but differs from...
- A BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series premering in the same year, which also tells of Merlin's early years.
External links
- Merlin and the War of the Dragons at The Asylum