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King Arthur 2: Why A Legend Of The Sword Sequel Never Happened
Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword had a big future planned, but a sequel never actually happened. Here's what went wrong with it.

King Arthur 2: Why A Legend Of The Sword Sequel Never Happened

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is one of the most recent adaptations of the Arthurian legends, and while there’s enough material for more than one movie, a sequel to it never happened – and here’s why. The legends of King Arthur have become some of the most popular stories in history and as such, they have been adapted to all types of media for years. Hollywood hasn’t missed the chance to explore these and has brought a variety of versions of the legends. Among the most recent ones is King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

Directed by Guy Ritchie, and co-written by him, Joby Harold, and Lionel Wigram from a story by Harold and David Dobkin, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword followed the title character (played by Charlie Hunnam) as he learned about his royal lineage after pulling the magical sword Excalibur from a stone. With the help of Sir Bedivere (Djimon Hounsou), Arthur set out to destroy King Vortigern (Jude Law), the tyrannical king who killed his father and was trying to kill him too. King Arthur was released in 2017, and while it was marketed as a big, epic adventure, with Ritchie’s name as guarantee seal, the movie ended up being an epic failure.

Unfortunately, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword‘s flop didn’t just impact itself. Had the film been the success it was intended to be, several more films would have followed fleshing out a wider, shared universe of Arthurian legend. Here’s what Warner Bros. initially had planned, and why it didn’t pan out.

How King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword Slayed A Possible Franchise

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, filmed all over the UK, had a production budget of $175 million. However, it grossed only $148 million worldwide. The film didn’t do well with critics either, who weren’t on board with the pace, story, and how it excised much of what makes the story a classic. These failures are what ultimately killed all plans for a King Arthur cinematic universe. While King Arthur: Legend of the Sword told a full story and can stand on its own, it did make way for at least one more adventure. At the end of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, the title character started building a Round Table where his knighted friends would meet, and he also finally became king, taking his father Uther’s (Eric Bana) crown. This was intended to set up more storylines that the future King Arthur movies would have explored.

What Warner Brothers’ Arthurian Shared Cinematic Universe Would Have Looked Like

Had King Arthur: Legend of the Sword worked out, Warner Bros. had a King Arthur shared universe plan ready to go. Following the critical failure of King Arthur in 2004, Warner Bros. was looking to adapt the Arthurian legend one more time, and after a couple of ideas that were eventually dropped (such as a movie titled Arthur & Lancelot which could have seen Kit Harington and Joel Kinnaman as the leads), the studio decided to go with a much bigger project. The shared universe would have begun with Ritchie’s movie before branching into six more. These films would have eventually brought in characters who got left aside in Legend of the Sword, most notably Lancelot and Guinevere. However, the critical and commercial failure of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword put an end to all those plans.

Why King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword Deserves A Rewatch

Despite being a box office blunder, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is still a solid and enjoyable fantasy adventure film that deserves to be seen. All of the elements that the movie had going for it, such as the beloved source material, strong ensemble cast, and very high production value (thanks to the enormous budget Warner Bros. allotted) offer a satisfying viewing experience, even if box office numbers at the time of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword‘s release don’t reflect that. Another strong case to be made for the film’s worthiness is its compelling direction by Guy Ritchie, who has gone on to helm other successful projects after his Arthurian flop.

Following the failure of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Guy Ritchie directed Aladdin and The Gentlemen (both received a lot better than the Arthurian legend). King Arthur actor Charlie Hunnam also appeared in different movies, most notably Triple Frontier and The Gentlemen, but he shared in January 2020 (via CheatSheet) that he would like to go back to the universe of King Arthur – though, at this point, it seems unlikely that those shared universe plans will be revived.