Add another project toRidley Scott’s never-ending pile. The director provided the definitive example of his speedy workmanship with the wholeAll the Money in the WorldSNAFU, which the director solved by cuttingKevin Spaceyfrom the film, recastingChristopher Plummer, re-filming all the scenes, and still having the film ready to go by the original release date only weeks later. I mean, damn. “I move like lightning,“the director recently explained.
Indeed, he must because coming off one of the busiest years in his career, with a number of projects already in the works, Scott is now in talks to team with Disney and direct the Mouse House’s adaptation ofThe Merlin Saga. Based on the books byT.A Barron, the series charts the origin of the young Merlin, who goes on to become the wise mentor in the classic King Arthur myth. Academy Award-winningLord of the RingsscribePhilippa Boyenswill write. Scott’s production company Scott Free is also in negotiations to produce alongsideBil Netter. PerVariety, the deal hasn’t closed but insiders expect this to be Scott’s next movie
The filmmaker has also been developing a number of other projects, including an adaptation ofDon Winslow’s crime epicThe Cartel, a film depicting the Battle of Britain, and possibly thatAlien: Covenantsequel. Variety’s report notes that Scott also met with Disney execs for their live-actionSword in the Stonemovie. The project would certainly be something different for the filmmaker, who hasn’t done much in the way of family friendly filmmaking throughout his career.
Here’s the synopsis for Book 1 ofThe Merlin Saga,The Lost Years of Merlin, viaT.A. Barron’s official site.
A raging sea tosses a boy upon the shores of ancient Wales. Left for dead, he has no memory, no name, and no home. But it is his determination to find out who he is—to learn the truth about his mysterious powers—that leads him to a strange and enchanted land. And it is there he discovers that the fate of this land and his personal quest are strangely entwined.
