If you can lead a motorcycle gang as tough as the Sons of Anarchy, you’re probably qualified to rule a country. At least, that’s what director Guy Ritchie seems to be thinking. The Sherlock Holmes director has just cast “Sons of Anarchy” star Charlie Hunnam as King Arthur what is expected to be a new blockbuster franchise.
Charlie Hunnam will be joined by friends in this medieval adventure: his Pacific Rim co-star Idris Elba has also been cast as an unknown, Merlin-like figure. Variety also reports that Avengers: Age of Ultron co-star Elizabeth Olsen is in talks to play the female, lead, presumably either Arthur’s lady love Guinevere or his arch-nemesis, Morgan le Fay.
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This franchise is a major promotion for Charlie Hunnam, whose previous starring role in Pacific Rim helped earn that film a sequel, but only after the film’s box office was rescued by overseas attendance. Pacific Rim 2 is set for release on April 17, 2017, which will hopefully give the actor enough of a buffer to complete both films without too many scheduling problems.
Hunnam joins a long line of respectable on-screen King Arthurs, including Sean Connery (First Knight), Richard Harris (Camelot), Graham Chapman (Monty Python and the Holy Grail), Mel Ferrer (Knights of the Round Table), Nigel Terry (Excalibur), Trevor Howard (Sword of the Valiant) and Clive Owen (King Arthur, the 2004 version directed by Antoine Fuqua).
King Arthur is scheduled to valiantly duel its theatrical competition on July 22, 2016. “Sons of Anarchy” returns to FX for its final season on Tuesday, September 9.
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and the host of The B-Movies Podcast and The Blue Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
