Anthony Stewart Head has left Camelot behind to rule over another kingdom, this time in The CW’s The Selection pilot, where he’ll star as King Clarkson.

British actor Anthony Stewart Head, best known for his roles as Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and King Uther in Merlin, has joined the cast of The Selection.

One of The CW’s pilot projects which could start airing in the fall of 2013, The Selection is based on the young adult novel of the same name by author Kiera Cass. It follows the young woman America Singer (Yael Grobglas) as she journeys to the home of the royal family, where she and 24 other girls will compete for the hand of Prince Maxon (Michael Malarkey).

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Head will play the role of Maxon’s stern father King Clarkson, who aside from having to oversee his son’s selection of a wife has to protect the kingdom against the various rebel groups that threaten the royal family.

The Selection pilot was originally ordered by The CW for the fall 2012 season, but when the network refused to pick it up, the script underwent a massive overhaul, and most of the cast has been replaced. In last year’s version, King Clarkson was played by actor Martin Donovan, while Aimee Teegarden had been cast as America.

We hope that Anthony Stewart Head’s solid TV background will add some credibility to this project, and that The CW will include the series in its fall season line-up this time around.

What do you think about this surprising casting announcement?!