Rule Britannia

David Morrissey on the return of the sword-and-sorcery series set in Roman Britain

- Judy Ewens

For Game of Thrones fans in need of an epic drama set in a bygone era with violent deaths, duplicitous characters, and dark fantasy, the return of Sky Atlantic’s Britannia might fill the void.

It follows the Roman army, who, after Julius Caesar’s failure to conquer Britain, invade the country once again in 43AD. They find a land of powerful Druids and warrior queens weakened by its warring Celtic tribes – the Cantii and the Regni. Roman general Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey) takes advantage of this conflict, urging each of the tribes to form an alliance with Rome.

The second season begins two years on from the invasion, with Aulus, having made an ally of Celtic queen Amena (Annabel Scholey), dominating the willing Celt tribes while crushing those who resist.

The only hope for both the Celts and the Druids is Cait (Eleanor Worthington-Cox), a young girl being trained by Druid outcast Divis (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) to fulfill a prophecy that would save Britain from the Romans. Aulus is determined to hunt Cait down, but a visit to Britain by Emperor Claudius (new cast member Steve Pemberton) disrupts his plans.

Here, Morrissey, 55, tells us what’s in store for season two…

What can we expect this season?