The Huge Potential Of Guy Ritchie's "King Arthur" Project

Unfortunately, 2016 will no longer be the year that King Arthur returns to the big screen. Guy Ritchie's "Knights Of The Round Table: King Arthur" was originally expected to come out this summer. However, Variety reports that Warner Bros. pushed the release from this coming July to February 2017 in the midst of some general reshuffling (seemingly to make way for a September release for Tom Hanks' "Sully"). That's a bit of a bummer for folks who just couldn't wait to see Charlie Hunnam step into the shoes of folklore's greatest king. But on the other hand, it's also cause for more build-up. In that light, let's look at some of the potential impact of this film.

Pure Box Office Potential

According to The Verge, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" put the 2015 box office totals over the top to make it the highest-earning year in US history at the cinema. A lot of that is due to inflation (and "The Force Awakens" being the highest-grossing film of all time), but it also speaks to the public's ongoing interest in film. It's actually a pretty refreshing development given that many predicted people would stop seeing movies in favor of home entertainment. At any rate, some believe 2016 will come close to matching 2015, if not exceeding it, which means Ritchie's film will be hitting the theaters on the heels of two massive years. Big movies tend to make big money, and it's likely that whenever this reimagined King Arthur tale reaches the screen, it'll rake in plenty of cash.

Charlie Hunnam's Star Power

Hunnam is beloved by a serious fan base that's obsessed over him on "Sons Of Anarchy" for some time now. But his only significant movie experience (assuming you've forgotten by now that he was Pete in "Green Street Hooligans") was as the lead in the unremarkable "Pacific Rim." He now has the chance to translate his talents to film for what's expected to be a six-movie series. Unfortunately for Hunnam, the closest comparison to a young TV hunk looking to establish a film franchise is probably to Taylor Kitsch, who was unable to do much with the goofy and forgettable "John Carter" despite his own off-the-charts popularity from "Friday Night Lights." Anything can happen, but Hunnam will become a bona fide superstar should this first movie succeed.

Establishing A Six-Film Series

This bit of potential deserves its own category, because it's pretty ambitious when you think about it. Ritchie has been rather tight-lipped about where exactly his series will take King Arthur and his knights (there are even conflicting synopses for the first movie). But if it's successful, it's going to be around for a long time. For comparison, a six-film franchise would be only one film shorter than "Fast & Furious," two films longer than "Pirates of the Caribbean," and half of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it currently exists. In other words, this could be a really big deal.

Bringing King Arthur Back

The films will be enough, but how about a broader impact in culture? Major film franchises these days often lead to more media: novelizations, spinoffs, action figures, comic books, coloring books, and of course, video games. And seeing arguably the most iconic fantasy character of all time in any of these areas would be oddly refreshing. There's the most potential in gaming, because it's as if the entire video game industry is already begging for a fresh foundation for a mythical epic. Titles like "The Witcher" and "Skyrim" are like Arthurian legends without the characters; multiple jousting apps already simulate fantasy medieval settings; and online casinos invoke kings and knights in themed games, all without an Arthur to turn to. In addition to numerous VIP offerings that serve to reward returning players, Gala Bingo hosts a lot of games with themes such as Iron Man and Gladiator, among others. But titles like "Wild Knights - King's Ran som" and "Kingdom Of Fortune" are screaming for a cinematic figurehead. King Arthur will be everywhere if Ritchie's first movie is a success, and that includes pretty much every branch of gaming.

Establishing A Wave Of Actors

I've already discussed the potential of this project to catapult Hunnam to new heights. But consider these names: Kit Harrington, Natalie Dormer, Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner, Richard Madden. Odds are you didn't know a single one of those names before HBO's "Game Of Thrones" made them all famous. And a six-film franchise for which most of the key players (specifically the knights of the round table) haven't been named yet holds enormous potential to make a similar impact for a group of actors. Most interestingly, the role of Sir Lancelot has yet to be assigned (or at least announced).

We have a year to wait now before "Knights Of The Round Table: King Arthur" hits theaters, but don't mistake this for some February release shoved aside in favor of bigger projects. It still has the potential to be a very major event in cinema and beyond.