Starz and producer Graham King have settled on the main cast for their upcoming medieval drama "Camelot," Starz announced Thursday.
Production on the series will begin in June, and it’s set to hit the airwaves in early 2011.
The main roles of King Arthur will be played by Jamie Campbell Bower with Tamsin Egerton as Guinevere; Joseph Fiennes is signed on to play the wizard Merlin, with Eva Green as the evil sorceress Morgana.
Not based on the Broadway show, the series apparently will cover the period in Arthur’s life sometime between "The Sword and the Stone" and the musical "Camelot."
Bower previously appeared as Anthony in Tim Burton’s "Sweeney Todd" and as Caius Volturi in "Twilight: New Moon." He’ll also be playing Gellert Grindelwald in the upcoming two-part "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Egerton is a relative unknown in the state, but she built up a lengthy resume in England with roles in numerous TV productions and the popular "St. Trinian’s" films.
Fiennes has largely been off the map since he made his mark with roles in "Shakespeare In Love" and "Elizabeth" in 1998. Since then, his efforts to get his career back on track have been unsuccessful. Most recently, he had the lead role in the ABC sci-fi series "FlashForward," which was canceled last month despite critical buzz.
Green made her big splash as the Bond girl Vesper Lynd in "Quantum of Solace" and "Casino Royale."
"Camelot" is the first project from GK-TV, the television division of Graham King’s production company that was launched last November. King, his business partner Tim Headington, and GK-TV President Craig Cegielski will be executive producing the project along with the team behind Showtime’s "The Tudors" — Morgan O’Sullivan and Michael Hirst.
In a statement Thursday, Cegielski said, “This announcement further solidifies GK-TV’s mandate of being the premier destination for cinematic-quality TV programming with a global appeal.”
The show is also the first series ordered by Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht since he took over at the channel in January. It will be a reunion of sorts for Albrecht and O’Sullivan who worked together during the former’s time at the helm of HBO.
A version of "Camelot" produced by O’Sullivan, Hirst, the Irish production company Octagon, and U.K. outfit Ecosse Films was originally set to run on Showtime in 2008. Starz has exclusive U.S. broadcast rights to "Camelot," but GK-TV is handling international distribution.
In his first few months at Starz, Albrecht has made it his goal to create more original programming at the network. The Starz boss has high hopes for "Camelot." ”With Joseph Fiennes, Eva Green, Jamie Campbell Bower and Tamsin Egerton in the cast, we’ve got actors who can bring real passion and intensity to their roles,” Albrecht said in Thursday’s announcement.
