Sony Pictures Lands GUINEVERE, a New Spin on the King Arthur Legend
Sony Pictures is into myth and legend with a interesting new spin on a story everyone thinks they already know. The studio has landed the pitch for Guinevere, a fresh take on the Arthurian legend that puts the spotlight where it’s rarely been. This time, the tale unfolds through the eyes of Arthur’s queen.
The project is currently in early development and pairs director Emma Holly Jones with writer Kristina Lauren Anderson. While plot details are being kept close to the vest, the concept alone is a big shift from tradition.
The legend of King Arthur has been passed down since 12th-century literature and reworked endlessly in books, films, and television. Knights, quests, swords, and prophecies have had their time. What hasn’t is a version where Guinevere is the center of the story rather than a supporting figure orbiting Arthur’s destiny.
That angle makes this one stand out in a crowded field of Arthurian adaptations. Hollywood has returned to Camelot again and again over the years, but Guinevere has almost always been sidelined.
Framing the myth through her perspective opens the door to new emotional ground, political tension, and personal stakes that haven’t really been explored on screen before.
Jones earned attention after directing and producing both the short and feature versions of Mr. Malcolm’s List, a period romantic comedy. When the movie was released it connected with both critics and audiences.
On the writing side, Anderson is currently working on the sequel to Disney’s live-action hit Cruella, with Emma Stone returning to star and produce, and Craig Gillespie directing.
Anderson first make a splash a decade ago with her feature script Catherine The Great, which landed at number one on The Black List. Since then, she’s been busy adapting Paulo Coehlo’s global best-seller The Alchemist for TriStar, and developing Swan Lake for Universal with Felicity Jones starring.
She also recently developed Fantasia as an animated series for Disney+, wrote Kick, based on the life of Kick Kennedy, as an ongoing series for Apple.
Guinevere seems like a smart and timely evolution of a classic legend. If Sony plays this right, Camelot could feel exciting and new again, without leaning on the same old myths we’ve seen a hundred times before.
Source: Deadline