Back in the dim and distant mists of time (okay, just 2018), Ridley Scott added the idea of making a film about mystical King Arthur wizard Merlin to his bulging to-do list. It lingered on the "maybe" pile, but has since been superseded by the likes of The Last Duel, House Of Gucci and others. Still, Disney hasn't forgotten, and is now hiring Love And Monsters director Michael Matthews to take a crack.
While LOTR co-writer Philipa Boyens worked on a script around the time Scott was interested, Chris Weitz has written the latest adaption, once more based on a series of 12 kids' novels by T.A. Barron, to which Disney have the screen rights. Barron's epic began in 1996, and covers Merlin's early years before the Round Table, in an Avalon populated by fantasy creatures.
It's about time Merlin got his moment on the big screen again, especially after a variety of King Arthur movies. Let's see if he can conjure up a film at last.