Owain Glyndŵr: Blood and Glory. Image: Gwalia Films
Stephen Price
Doc Martin star Martin Clunes will be joined by Toby Jones and Maxine Peake in an upcoming Hollywood production detailing the life of Owain Glyndŵr, the last native Prince of Wales.
Starring alongside Clunes (Doc Martin, William and Mary) as the Welsh hero, Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Mr Burton) will play Owain’s father, Gruffudd Fychan, while Maxine Peake (Dinnerladies, Gwen) will take on the role of Owain’s wife, Mared Merch Dafydd.
The Lord of the Rings-inspired drama, titled Owain Glyndŵr: Blood and Glory, also features support from Welsh acting giants Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, The Queen) as Charles VI of France and Dame Siân Phillips (I Claudius, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) as an unnamed peasant.
Principle filming is expected to take place this spring in locations across North Yorkshire, as well as Pinewood Studios, London, with a pivotal love-making scene set to take place just outside Chepstow, with a full Wales-based canteen staff on hand for the two-day shoot.
Clunes shared his excitement for the role, saying: “It’s been so good to be back in Wales, assuming Chepstow is Wales that is, for part of the filming surrounded by so many incredible actors – many of whom I’ve worked with beforehand.
“The script grabbed me from the first read, and it was fascinating getting to learn about Owain’s life ‘on the job’ so to speak, not having heard of him before.
“I joked with the team at Gwalia Films that I’ve got the accent nailed from Out There, and then again for the Huw Edwards docu drama so they only chose me because they knew I’d be able to save them money on helping the other actors perfect the Welsh accent too.”
And for fans of Clunes’ earlier work, eagle-eyed viewers might spot a few cameos from fellow-stars of his beloved breakout production, Men Behaving Badly.
He told Nation.Cymru: “I’m not sure if I’m supposed to mention this, but Neil Morrissey, Caroline Quentin and Leslie Ash all feature in prominent roles.
“Leslie in particular blew me away with her part, and to see her take on more lines than both Sheen and Phillips just shows how much we’ve underestimated her talent until now.”
Acclaimed actors Maxine Peake and Toby Jones
Maxine Peake, who plays the wife of Glyndŵr, and also The Lady of the Lake and a non-binary Merlin in a number of groundbreaking Arthurian-inspired dream sequences, said: “Like Martin, I’m no stranger to a Welsh role, and I’m just thrilled to be flying the flag for Wales on the world stage.
“The film is loosely inspired by the work of Emerald Fennell, so that fresh take on an old story really appealed to me – especially with the homoerotic elements that, although unspoken, bring an added dimension and humanity to a largely-forgotten character who I’m sure very few Welsh people are aware of.
“Like Martin, I had no idea about the story before, but it’s got such a Lord of the Rings feel that I’m sure it’ll capture new audiences who will be as excited as we were to immerse themselves in this absolute hero of British history.”
Rob Chode from Gwalia Films shared: “When the script landed on our desks, we knew we had to get the cream of acting talent for the role, and Martin Clunes was everyone’s first choice. It’s an absolute thrill to watch him in action.
“I’d also seen Peake and Jones tackle two important Welsh roles and with them on board the puzzle pieces fell into place.”
“Rest assured there will be no shortage of Welsh actors in supporting roles, all held together with the skill of Wales-based director, Penda Fenn, and we expect a surge in tourism to Chepstow.
“This is Wales at its best. We can’t wait for fans to get behind the man behind the myth – with just a little touch of fantasy, romantasy and Welsh magic added to the mix to bring this story up to date.
“Game of Thrones fans will not be disappointed. And who knows, if Welsh audiences get behind this first class production as we expect them to, we might even find ourselves at the beginning of a limitless Owain Glyndŵr multiverse.
“The possibilities are endless.”
Owain Glyndŵr: Blood and Glory is a Gwalia Films production funded with support from the Welsh Assembly’s Merthyr Tydfil Depot, and will hit Welsh cinemas on 4 September 2026 following its London premiere on 3 September 2026.
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