Escape into Fantastical Worlds with UK Productions

First and perhaps most obviously is the phenomenon that is Game of Thrones, based on George RR Martin’s books and chronicling the endless plotting and scheming of the mighty houses in the dark world of Westeros. With intrigue, backstabbing, torture and dragons, it’s a thrilling story anchored by a host of stars including Sean Bean (Shardlake, Anemone), Lena Headey (Fighting with My Family, Dredd) and Emilia Clarke (Last Christmas, The Amazing Maurice).  

If you’ve already watched and rewatched Thrones, you can get a similar thrill from The Wheel of Time, the epic fantasy adventure based on the works of Martin’s friend and contemporary Robert Jordan and starring Rosamund Pike (Radioactive, Saltburn) and Meera Syal (Goodness Gracious Me). Or to amp up the grit, try The Witcher season four, which sees the superhuman Geralt of Rivia return, now played by Liam Hemsworth, for more monster-fighting and evil-thwarting. Then try putting yourself into a similar situation with games like Fable III, where you must overthrow a king and then defend a kingdom, or The Siege and the Sandfox, where you have to navigate a city under attack. Or go all-out with Total War: Warhammer III and Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin for full fantasy immersion.  

A root of many of these stories lies in the Arthurian legends of King Arthur, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table. In a game like Pendragon: Narrative Strategy you can save Camelot itself, or you can get a taste for those stories in King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword from director Guy Ritchie (The Gentlemen, Snatch), with Charlie Hunnam (Queer As Folk) starring as the young Arthur opposite Jude Law (Firebrand, The Order) as his evil uncle. If you’d like an even less conventional take on the Arthurian legend, try a modern-day version in The Kid Who Would Be King, from director Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) and setting the legend in a modern secondary school. Interestingly both have tackled fantasy elsewhere too: Ritchie also made the Indiana Jones-alike fantasy adventure Fountain of Youth recently, while Cornish made the ghost-heavy Lockwood & Co show. 

That’s only the tip of the wizard’s staff when it comes to fantasy favourites, of course. Classic fantasy authors have been providing great books to inspire those filling our screenings for years. Roald Dahl’s work sparked the delightful Wonka from Paul King (Paddington), with Timothee Chalamet (The King) as the eccentric chocolate maker. Dahl is also behind Steven Spielberg’s (War Horse) The BFG as well as the more recent likes of The Twits. Philip Pullman’s work gave us The Sally Lockhart Mysteries: The Ruby in the Smoke and the better-known His Dark Materials, beautifully adapted recently with Dafne Keen, James McAvoy (Filth) and Ruth Wilson (Luther). There is the whole world of the Harry Potter films and their prequels, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The “Wizarding World” that JK Rowling (CB Strike) created defined a generation of kids and has been finding new readers ever since.  

Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl was adapted by Kenneth Branagh (Murder on the Orient Express) with Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin, Ballad of a Small Player) starring. Look out too for the pleasantly apocalyptic Good Omens, with David Tennant (Doctor Who) as a demon and Michael Sheen (The Damned United) as his best friend, an angel. That comes from the late British fantasy legend Terry Pratchett alongside Neil Gaiman; the latter also gave us Stardust and The Sandman. Those stories were originally graphic novels, as is the case with 100 Nights of Hero, the striking recent hit starring Emma Corrin (The Crown) as an impish maid trying to save her mistress from a predatory suitor (Nicholas Galitzine, Mary & George). 

Animation, meanwhile, offers even more visually dazzling worlds. Hilda And the Mountain King sees a group of friends navigating a world full of trolls with voice work by Game of Thrones and The Last Of Us’ Bella Ramsay. The ambitious TV animation Wolf King sees a werewolf fight were-lions to reclaim his ancestor’s throne and save his people, while Nimona is a charming tale of shapeshifters with a cast that includes Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass) and Riz Ahmed (Relay, The Night Of). 

If you’re into swords and sorcery, in other words, you don’t need a spell book to get started, just a screen. Limber up with games such as Tactical Breach Wizards, Into the Restless Ruins or Knights in Tight Spaces, and then head off on your own epic quest to slay dragons, battle evil sorcerers and save the world. After watching all of this entertainment, you’ll be raring to go.