Speaking of the script, how faithful is it to the King Arthur story?
I always take scripts how I find them. I’m not one of those people who feels that if it’s based on a book, it has to be just like the book. I like this script. I like the momentum. I like the way it sets up the story and then sets these guys out on a mission from hell. The writer, David Franzoni, told me about his historical research and how he arrived at this concept. He gave me a lot of background on the original King Arthur myths, and it was enlightening because so much of my knowledge of King Arthur was based on children’s storybooks and movies. I soon realised that I didn’t know that much. It’s a very elusive myth that came together over a long period of time, and our film is based on the things that the writer learned from his research. It’s set in a time when the Roman Empire was pulling out of Britain, society was collapsing and chaos reigned – all of which make for a very exciting backdrop for the movie. I think it’s important to view this film as one interpretation of this le
