As he builds the main cast for his ambitious new take on the King Arthur mythology, Guy Ritchie has found someone to play the title character’s dad. Eric Bana will now be suiting up as Uther Pendragon.
Charlie Hunnam has the lead as Arthur, with Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey his Guinevere. Ritchie has Jude Law in talks to be the villain, with Djimon Hounsou circling the role of Bedivere, Uther’s right-hand man who makes it his mission to train the young Arthur for his true destiny.
From the sounds of Variety’s report, Bana won’t exactly have lots of screen time, but Ritchie and his team wanted to hand the role to someone who can make the most of it. The rest of the plot is largely shrouded in mystery, though Edge Of Tomorrow producer Joby Harold’s script will presumably hit some of the major points of the character’s life even as Knights Of The Round Table: King Arthur attempts to kick off a multi-part saga that Warner Bros. wants as a new franchise. The director is in pre-production now with a July 22, 2016 release date breathing down his neck.
Bana, last seen in Deliver Us From Evil, has worked on coast guard drama The Finest Hours and is shooting The Secret Scripture.