A faith-forward fantasy series is proving that audiences still have an appetite for stories shaped by Christianity, sacrifice and the spiritual foundations of Western civilization.
“The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin” climbed to No. 1 among fantasy series in America across all streaming platforms one day after arriving on Prime Video, according to viewing data from JustWatch. The series surpassed HBO Max’s “House of the Dragon” in the fantasy category and ranked third among Prime Video’s top shows, behind “Reacher” and “Dark Matter.”
Created and directed by Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing, the series is adapted from Stephen Lawhead’s novels. It follows Merlin before the birth of King Arthur, tracing his painful upbringing and eventual return to unite Britain’s fractured kingdoms against Saxon invaders.
The production also portrays the rise of Christianity positively, refusing to treat the faith as something that must be weakened or hidden to appeal to modern viewers.
“This is a story about sacrifice, about faith surviving in unwelcoming places, about a king’s duty,” Boreing told the Daily Mail.
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Originally released on DailyWire+ in January, the series struggled to gain momentum before reaching British audiences in July. It then climbed the U.K. streaming charts without paid advertising. Its Prime Video debut has now introduced the story to a much larger American audience.
“The numbers are gratifying,” Boreing said, “but what matters is what’s beneath it — that Americans are still hungry for one of our greatest civilizational inheritances.”
That hunger challenges the entertainment industry’s assumption that explicitly Christian themes limit a production’s reach. Rather than stripping away the story’s spiritual identity, Boreing and his team embraced it.
“We didn’t sand any of it down, and it turns out you don’t have to,” he said.
Glenn Beck compared the series to “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Chosen,” while Oscar-winning screenwriter Roger Avary also praised it.
Its rise suggests audiences are ready for ambitious entertainment that treats our faith and cultural inheritance with respect.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
