Jude Law may play a mysterious villain in the legend of King Arthur franchise.
Time and time again, King Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable have been inspiration for various stories, in various forms of media. In 2008, the cult favorite Merlin graced British and American screens. The series followed young Merlin and King Arthur. It ran from 2008-2012. The last blockbuster attempt to rebirth the legend happened in 2004 with Antoine Fuqua’s King Arthur.
Now Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow pictures are co-financing a new King Arthur franchise. The only major detail released about these films are that they’ll be told in six movies. Of course, these films are contingent on the financial success of the first one.
Guy Ritchie will direct and produce the six movies; Joby Harold (Awake) has penned the screenplay. He will also co-produce with Ritchie, and Lionel Wigram, Akiva Goldsman, and Tory Tunnell.
Everyones trippin that Guy Ritchie is going to direct the new King Arthur, meanwhile ive been waiting on The Man From U.N.C.L.E for years!
— Hugh Honey (@anacletoa93) November 15, 2014
In August, Deadline reported that Son of Anarchy‘s Charlie Hunnam joined the cast as Arthur. In September, the movie found its Guinevere in the form of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides‘ Astrid Berges-Frisbey. Now it looks like the film has its main villain: Law.
Watson turns bad ‘un as Jude Law joins Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: http://t.co/hcR50Lr392 pic.twitter.com/Nv37dw6xyi — Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) November 16, 2014
According to Variety, Law has begun negotiations to play an unnamed villain in the first film, titled Knights of the Roundtable. It’s unclear if Law will only play the villain in the first film or all six movies. This marks the third time Ritchie and Law worked together. Law starred as Dr. John Watson in Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows.
Law’s most recent film, Black Sea, hits theaters in January 2015.
Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur will go into production once they cast Merlin. Idris Elba was originally up for the part, but negotiations fell through.
The film is already set for a July 22, 2016 release.