Soon after the Clive Owen-starring, Antoine Fuqua-helmed King Arthur hit theaters circa 2004, fans of the Excalibur-wielding hero were already begging for another adaptation of the story. Fortunately, we now know that Guy Ritchie will be tackling a re-make known as Knight of the Round Table, and it has the look of an epic in-the-making. While Charlie Hunman has long been attached to the project, word is just getting out that Djimon Hounsou will be taking over wizard duties from Idris Elba. Which is to say, of course, Mr. Hounsou will be playing the great and powerful Merlin in the film – a role that, I’m sure, incited a lot of buzz around casting offices in Hollywood.
Jude Law, who has previously worked with Ritchie on the Sherlock Holmes films, is also speculated to be involved in the project as an antagonist. What is more, Warner Bros. envisions the franchise as a six-part behemoth. There is definitely enough Arthurian legend out there to make up six movies, but let’s hope that Hounsou, Hunman, Law, and the rest of the cast have picked the project for its quality. It would be a shame to sit through the equivalent of six more screenings of the depressingly bad King Arthur from 2004.
