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Warren Ellis to Scribe Knights of the Round Table Movie
I often profess my deep passion for a number of movie related things, but that’s the beauty of film. Its poligamist. There is room enough in my heart for a great number of loves. But the first among them is medieval epics.
Specifically the Authurian Legends. Well it appears that legendary comic book scribe Warren Ellis (an idol of mine) has gone and written himself a film that the Hollywood Gang (co-producers of 300) have offered the working title of Excalibur.
Obsessed with Film quotes Ellis from his official website
‘Untitled Arthurian Project,’ as I call it (just so I can’t feel John Boorman’s EXCALIBUR looming down at me from my DVD shelf), differs from the prior 751 King Arthur movies in many ways, but perhaps most obviously in that it is very specifically about the gathering of the Knights.
I can think of few others that would be more fitting for an Arthurian film. Ellis often plays on themes from this legend in his writing, and true to his insightful ways he is focusing on a less common tale of the Knights age.
One of the core elements of the King Arthur legends is the unique round table that brings a physical equality to the concept that Arthur shared with his nights. The table has no head, and despite him being King, at that table they were all equals.
It is only fitting that Ellis would ride this concept and bring us a story where all the characters are equals, and share a tale of how that Knighthood was established.
I can’t wait.
And Sean Connery needs to come out of retirement to play Arthur. Just sayin.
cant wait…man i love the genre and think that some critics automatically call any thing with knights and epicness a LotR HACK…i disagree yet there have been lots of crap….but this sounds cool.
This sounds awesome. Personally I would go with a slightly younger Arthur than Connery for this project and have a sequel planned. The first one is founding of the round table and the second one applying the round table to overcome a major adversary. I just hope they get down and dirty with the presentation, like real medieval times. As opposed to clean and sparkly where it looks like everybody just stepped out of a bathtub/shower. Looking forward to hearing more news on this project.
This sounds wonderful. But the King Arthur epic I really want to see on the big screen is “Spamalot”
hear hear!
I can’t believe I actually agree with Lil’ Sampson on something.
Camelot will never die. The legend of it is something retold and reinvented every so often.
And I actually like this idea of focusing on the Knights, and hopefully someone other than Tristan or Lancelot, although they have to be a part of it, no doubt. Since HG is involved, I also wonder if they might attempt a good chunk of the film to be CG virtual green screen like 300.
I’d like Sir Connery to come out of retirement too, Rodney. But only if they offered him Merlin.
Just sayin’.
Dude, that would be made of awesome!
I don’t know, I would kinda wanna see Patrick Steward as Arthur and Ian McKellen as Gandalf…er I mean Merlin. As for the reason as Stewart as Arthur is when he played King Richard in Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
Boorman’s Excalibur is one of my favorite movies of all time. I’ve been waiting for a King Arthur tale to be close to Boormans for a long time.
Anyone remember the DC Comic Camelot 3000? I think that would be an interesting concept for a film
I love Warren Ellis as well! So I’m sure the screenplay will be good! I can’t wait to hear more about this.
ps- King Arthur will Clive Owen wasn’t too bad…I enjoyed it
I’m still waiting for the day when a truly magnificent Arthurian Legend film comes to the big screen. I hope this one is it.
I’m with Vargas, there have been some good Arthur films, but this is a story that needs to get the Lord of the Rings treatment someday. In other words, it needs a series of 2-3 films. If this is about the beginning of the round table, it could conceivably be the first of a franchise. Who would you guys want to cast?
My first impulse would be to make Russell Crowe into Arthur. But that almost seems like a cliche now after his playing Gladiator and now Robin Hood soon. But who else out there could do it?
so dream suggestions for now?
Arthur - Russell Crowe
Guinevere - Kate Winslet
Merlin - Anthony Hopkins
Lancelot - Christian Bale, Eric Bana
Sir Gawain - Gerard Butler, Kevin McKidd
Sir Bedivere - Mickey Rourke, Ron Perlman
Sir Kay - Alan Rickman
Sir Tristram - Chris Pine or Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Sir Mordred - Tim Roth, Cillian Murphy?
Pellinore - Brian Cox
Ector - Michael Caine
Sir Percival - Colin Farrell, Timothy Olyphant
Sir Dagonet - Sam Rockwell, Jason Segel
Sir Geraint - Sam Worthington, Daniel Craig