You guys watched "First Night"? I thought it was supposed to be a "chick flick". Sort of like "An Affair to Remember", but with two leading men and taking place in a slightly more fictionalized setting than a cruise ship and a romanticized version of New York City. I finally understood why Guinevere was torn. She had to choose between Sean Connery and Richard Gere! :cool:

LOL

Seriously, I'd also love to see "The Winter KIng" made into a movie. Not so seriously, I wonder how Johnny Dep would do playing Derfel? ;)

I agree the way Hollywood tries to spin things I'm sure they'd try to use the Rock or someone like that for Derfel. Its too bad that the Winter King calls for a younger actor. I know with Cornwell using Sean Bean as the lead is kind of a cliche but I do think he would be a really good Derfel. Wonder who could pull off Cornwell's version of Merlin? Or Arthur for that matter?

You know I was thinking both of those guys too, but I didn't want to mention Harris if only because he's passed on. But yeah I could definitely see him being as sly and vicious as he has to be.

Perhaps it would make people confused;)

[/quote]What about Ian McKellen as Merlin?

Quote:

I don't think Ian would take it, I believe he turned down Harris' character from the Harry Potter movies after Harris died. Though after seeing McKellen's Richard III I know he can play about as mean and manipulative as one might desire. But I think other actors could pull it off too.

It's worth listening to the Director's Commentary on the DVD, where Ridley Scott gives his reasons for ignoring so much of the information - supplied presumably by Professor Kathleen Coleman (who ultimately requested that her "historical advisor" credit be removed*.) A good deal of this seems to have been done to speed up the drama, to "show" without having to pause for "explanation"; he was, after all, making an entertainment-drama, not a documentary.

However, some of it was just becase Scott preferred his fictional vision to the historical reality. Since I've now had first-hand experience of what a director's "vision" can do to a film project, I've stopped ranting so hard about Gladiator; it could have been so much worse. The IMDB trivia section http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/trivia quotes Scott as commenting that the real Colosseum was "too small", which is a reasonable summation of how his mind was working where this film is concerned. I wonder what Kingdom of Heaven will be like; certainly the armour (at least as seen in the trailer) looks more appropriate to the First Crusade than the Third.

*The only place her name appears is the small "The producers wish to thank..." gang-credit, and she is the only individual named in it.

Peter, are you the Peter Morwood who have written the Horselord series, if so, Thank you! One of the greatest reading experinces I had during my teenage years.

How about a heavy makeup on Nick Cage, could be a realy good Merlin.

FANTASTIC....

They are great work, the scene in The Horselord where Aldric cuts of the biceps of the barbarian is one of the things that made me start with swordplay.... :D

Nick Cage..? (shudder.....) please keep him away from any kind of serious movie.

Boy this thread has really taken a turn from its original theme. Peter, I just put your rerelease in my wish list on amazon.com. Maybe some day I can meet you and get it signed... As far as a good Arthur I would choose Vigo Mortensen. He made a great Aragorn, I see no reason why he wouldn't make a great Arthur.


Ben

I'm chuffed to F**k the Horselord books are being reprinted, my copies have gone west-ish over the years. I'm also missing at least one of the follow on books at least.

Vigo Mortensen? Do me a favour.......When He learns to act, and then only maybe.... I hate to say it but I can't think of a single actor with the weight of skill who could pull it off. And as for having an American playing Arthur.....Yeuch.....Would you like a Brit playing Washington? A younger Russell Crowe...Maybe.......Orlando Bloom... No way....crap actor. Brad Pitt....tooo light weight...sulked and pouted like a 6 year old girl in Troy. Sean bean....Nope....not quite but there's a role in it for him. Ioan Gruffudd... Maybe He's welsh at least and still just young enough. Jason Isaacs, too old for lead role but could work as Merlin.......

Peter O'Toole would do a great Winter King Merlin.