Netflix Removes George R.R. Martin’s Favorite 91% RT Historical Action Epic For Some Subscribers

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Published Mar 3, 2026, 10:02 AM EST

Rohan Naahar is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

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Writer George R.R. Martin doesn't have the drive to complete his magnum opus fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, he certainly has time for assorted entertainment, such as writing and producing shows, posting blogs, and watching TV. He combined the last two pastimes when he heaped praise on a show in a blog post some years ago. An endorsement from Martin, one of the most influential voices in contemporary storytelling, can do wonders for a series or movie. Stephen King gives regular shout-outs on social media as well, and they undoubtedly boost sales of new books. One of the shows that Martin praised has benefited greatly during its time on Netflix, but audiences who have been putting off checking it out might want to hurry. The show is leaving the platform soon.

The show is based on a series of novels by Bernard Cornwell, which were published between 2004 and 2020. The series, comprising 13 books in total, charts the birth of England in the 9th and 10th centuries. As Martin clarified in his blog post a few years ago, the show that Cornwell's books inspired wasn't a fantasy in the vein of Game of Thrones. "There is a notable lack of dragons and magic," he wrote, adding, "But there are lots of battles and betrayals, and swordplay. All that stuff." The show was created by Stephen Butchard and ran for five seasons from 2015 to 2022. It concluded with a feature-length movie that premiered on Netflix in 2023.

George R.R. Martin Has Posted Several Times About This Show

We're talking, of course, about The Last Kingdom, which holds a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show originally premiered on BBC Two, but was picked up by Netflix after two seasons. It has since been marketed as a Netflix Original, which might make you wonder why it's leaving the platform. This is happening mainly due to rights issues; Netflix's licensing deal for The Last Kingdom will expire over the next few months depending on the region. According to a What's On Netflix report, the streamer's four-year licensing window for Canada closes on March 9, 2026. The Last Kingdom will depart Netflix in the U.S. on December 9, 2026. The report also says that the feature-length film, Seven Kings Must Die, will remain on Netflix at least until 2033. Meanwhile, you can watch the latest Game of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, on HBO. The third season of House of the Dragon will debut in June. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.