Warner Bros. Pictures (via Entertainment Weekly) has released a first look at Jude Law’s King Arthur villain Vortigern from Guy Ritchie‘s revisionist take on Arthurian lore. Vortigern is described as possessing magical abilities, as well as being the murderer of Arthur’s father, Uther Pendragon (Eric Bana), and usurper of the throne. Check out the full King Arthur: Legend of the Sword photo in the gallery below, along with a new pic of Charlie Hunnam’s title hero!
“I think where the pitfall has often been is trying to make King Arthur bland and nice, and nice and bland,” director Guy Ritchie previously told EW. “The two qualities make rather compatible bed companions. Unfortunately, they’re not interesting to watch. Luke Skywalker was always the most uninteresting character in Star Wars because he’s the good guy. Good guys are boring.”
“He’s a little bit rough around the edges, but he’s basically a survivor. He’s a hustler,” Hunnam said of his version of the character. “He’s a street kid. There’s definitely a harder edge to him than people would imagine. It’s sort of classic Guy Ritchie stuff.”
Ambitiously planned to potentially span six films, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword will offer a re-imagining of Arthurian legend. Believed to have been a 6th century King, Arthur defended Britain against Saxon invaders. The key source material for the film will be Thomas Mallory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur,” published in 1485 as a compilation of French and English tales.
Also starring Astrid Berges-Frisbey (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), Jude Law (Spy, Sherlock Holmes), Eric Bana (Star Trek, Lone Survivor), and Djimon Honsou (The Legend of Tarzan, Guardians of the Galaxy), the new King Arthur was written by Joby Harold, who is producing with Akiva Goldsman, Tory Tunnell and Ritchie himself. Cate Adams and Niija Kuykendall are overseeing for Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is set to open in theaters on February 17, 2017.
Are you looking forward to seeing Sherlock Holmes star Jude Law re-team with Guy Ritchie? Do you like the idea of a newer, scrappier take on the Arthur legend? Let us know in the comments below!
