Paramount is Making a MEDIEVAL TIMES Movie With Real Knights, Dark Magic, and a Whole Lot of Chaos

Paramount Pictures is bringing Medieval Times to the big screen, and instead of simply making a comedy about knights pretending to fight each other over dinner, the studio is throwing some actual medieval mayhem into the mix.

The studio is developing a live-action family comedy based on the popular Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament attraction, with Eric Appel (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) attached to direct and Blaise Hemingway (Clifford the Big Red Dog) writing the script.

The movie will mix fantasy, adventure, and comedy, with the story taking place at the Orlando Medieval Times castle, where a struggling employee accidentally brings a real knight from the 9th century into the modern world. Unfortunately, he also unleashes an ancient evil necromancer.

Here's the official logline: "When a struggling employee at the Orlando Medieval Times accidentally unleashes a real 9th-century knight, along with an ancient evil necromancer, he has to team up with the feral warrior to save the castle, then the world, and finally win the respect he’s always craved."

There's some fun potential here, especially with a legitimate medieval warrior suddenly finding himself surrounded by employees dressed as knights, tourists eating chicken with their hands, and an evil sorcerer threatening to destroy everything.

Appel seems like a solid choice to direct this kind of comedy. He previously helmed Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, starring Daniel Radcliffe, which earned him an Emmy and won the People's Choice Award for Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival. He also recently directed the TriStar family comedy The Breadwinner, starring Nate Bargatze, which I enjoyed.

Hemingway has plenty of experience with family-friendly adventures and genre comedies. His credits include Clifford the Big Red Dog, Netflix's Vampires vs. the Bronx, and Universal's Totems. He also previously worked on adaptations of The Gates for Michael De Luca and Amblin, and H.E.R.B.I.E. for Disney+.

Hollywood has been trying to turn Medieval Times into a movie for more than a decade. Back in 2013, Bender's former company Benderspink partnered with Todd Garner's Broken Road to secure the rights. That project never made it to the screen, but Paramount is now taking another shot at it.

For anyone who hasn't experienced Medieval Times, it's basically a dinner show where guests cheer for competing knights as they joust, sword fight, and perform horseback stunts inside a massive castle arena. Everyone sits in color-coded sections representing different kingdoms while enjoying a medieval-style feast.

The attraction has been entertaining audiences in North America since 1983, when its first location opened in Kissimmee, Florida, near Walt Disney World. Its origins actually go back to 1960s Spain, where José Montaner created a medieval-themed dining experience inspired by his family's claimed ties to the noble Rocabertí family of Peralada.

Medieval Times eventually expanded across North America, with its Buena Park, California, location becoming one of its most recognizable castles. The company has entertained more than 72 million guests over the years.

Movie fans might also remember that Buena Park castle from The Cable Guy, the 1996 dark comedy starring Jim Carrey and directed by Ben Stiller. Medieval Times has also appeared in or been referenced in Garden State, Friends, Cake Boss, Hell's Kitchen, and Saturday Night Live.

The idea of turning a Medieval Times attraction into a fantasy comedy actually sounds pretty entertaining. Taking a place where people pretend to be medieval warriors and introducing someone who actually lived through that era could make for some great comedy, especially once the supernatural chaos kicks in.

The big question is how far Paramount will take the fantasy elements and whether the movie will lean more into the ridiculous comedy or the action-adventure side of things. Hopefully, it'll find a fun balance between the two.

The project is still in early development, so there's no cast or release date yet.