Game of Thrones’ Richard Dormer to lead Terry Pratchett series The Watch

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Now that the genre of high-fantasy reigns supreme thanks in-part to the success of shows like GAME OF THRONES, CARNIVAL ROW, and WESTWORLD, BBC America has taken it upon themselves to launch a shiny, new take on stories hailing from Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. Fans of the legendary author have been waiting decades to witness the unique nature of Pratchett's universe coupled with modern day effects, and now it's been announced that GAME OF THRONES alum Richard Dormer will lead the series as Sam Vimes, the captain of a band of misfit cops known as The Watch.

Taking place in the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork, where crime is legal and likely to happen around every corner, THE WATCH is framed as an anarchic drama. The eight-episode series follows The Watch as the group rises up from decades of helplessness to save their corrupt city from catastrophe. It is based on “City Watch,” a spinoff series within Pratchett’s bestselling “Discworld” novels. (via Variety)

“I’m so thrilled to be part of this brilliant madness and mayhem,” Dormer said about joining the series. “I was immediately drawn to the multitude of layers to Sam Vimes, and I find the dynamic between him and his band of disenfranchised comrades very compelling.”

A number of other actors have recently been added to the cast as well, including Adam Hugill (1917), Jo Easton-Kent (DON'T FORGET THE DRIVER), Marama Corlette (BLOOD DRIVE, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY), Lara Rossi (HORIZON: ZERO DAWN, ROBIN HOOD), and Sam Adewunmi (THE MISSING).

Easton-Kent will arrive as Constable Cheery, while Hugill will play an idealistic new recruit by the name of Constable Carrot. Corlette will enter the series as Corporal Angus, a enigmatic character charged with Carrot's training regimen. Meanwhile, Rossi will star as Lady Sybil Ramkin, last scion of Ankh-Morpork’s nobility, and Adewunmi will step onto the scene as Carcer Dun, a character looking to seize control of Ankh-Morpork.

“Richard Dormer will kill it as Sam Vimes, not your everyday male anti-hero," AMC Network’s Entertainment Group & AMC Studios president Sarah Barnett said. "Simon Allen and Rob Wilkins approach this adaptation with the kind of iconoclastic energy and openhearted love that will truly honor the indelible legacy of Sir Terry.”

Filming for THE WATCH is set to begin at the end of this month in South Africa, with Craig Viveiros directing from a script penned by Simon Allen. The goal is to make THE WATCH nothing short of a thrill for fans of Pratchett's timeless work. Sadly, Pratchett passed away in 2015, but his legacy lives on through the stories and characters he'd shared with the world.