Guy Ritchie may be interested in resurrecting another famous character but he will be going a hell of a lot further back in time than both SHERLOCK HOLMES and THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.. Ritchie was previously rumored to be looking at a King Arthur movie from writer John Hodge (TRAINSPOTTING), but that fell by the wayside as multiple films have been in development with the famed Knights of the Round Table as the protagonists. Now, it appears that Ritchie is back in the mix to helm a movie about the mythical leader, this time as part of a planned franchise.
Deadline is reporting that Ritchie and producer Akiva Goldsman are working on a film based on a script by Joby Harold. The King Arthur fable will be told in what is expected to be a six film series. Not many details are known aside from the film having “fantasy” elements. This would be the first King Arthur film since Antoine Fuqua‘s KING ARTHUR and 2007’s THE LAST LEGION, both of which took a more “realistic” approach to the legend.
Guy Ritchie‘s unique visual appeal worked for the Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law SHERLOCK HOLMES films, but how would it play with a fantasy epic? While I don’t think Ritchie would be locked in for all six films, assuming the movies are a hit, but we have not had many films explore the full Arthurian legend. The Starz series CAMELOT tried to but it was cut short after one season. As a fan of the King Arthur story, I would love to see it get told with a big budget and special effects without resorting to mimicking GAME OF THRONES or LORD OF THE RINGS.