Not necessarily a CBM I know, Hell its not even an M! But King Arthur, his Knights, Excalibur and Merlin etc have been featured in comics in various incarnations for many years. Now Its going to be a TV show, a joint production between American television network Starz and Morgan O’Sullivan, the managing director of World 2000 Entertainment, whose credits include
PS:I Love You, King Arthur, and
The Tudors. Michael Hirst, the creator and writer of The Tudors, has drawn up the outline for Camelot and written the first four episodes.
The series makers are thought to have been attracted to Ireland by experienced crew and actors, the landscape and tax breaks.
“The landscape is perfect for the Arthurian setting. You get a real sense of the Dark Ages in Ireland,” Hirst said.
“I’ve had such fun working in Ireland and with Irish crews, who are the best in the world. I’m so happy that it looks like we’re all back together.”
Camelot will be based on Thomas Malory's 15th century book "Le Morte d'Arthur", but it will weave authenticity into a modern telling of the Arthur legends that is relatable to contemporary audiences. The drama will centre on the fellowship of the knights of Camelot. While it will feature King Arthur, it will not follow The Tudors style of focusing on one person. Scriptwriters will flesh out the characters of Sir Galahad, Sir Gawain and Sir Lancelot. And of course, Merlin the wizard will be present. That brings me to the casting. So far, the only characters that are known to be cast are Merlin, Arthur, Guinevere and Morgana, the evil half sister of Arthur(if they stick to the legend). Merlin and Morgana will be played by Joseph Feinnes and Eva Green. Some pretty spot on casting there I'm sure you'l agree. Jamie Campbell Bower(Sweeney Todd, The Twilight Saga: New Moon) is Arthur, and smokin hottie Tamsin Egerton(St Trinians, Eragon) is Guinevere.
Camelot is envisaged to be a five-season series, which should mean five years of filming in Ireland. 6000 extras are in the process of being recruited to create armies for battle scenes, and yesterday I went along to sign up. So if I get the call back, I'll bring my trusty camera along and report on what I manage to see and hear on set.
Thanks to /film for the pic and info, and Sundaytimesonline for the quotes.
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About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.